


The Perfect Candidate

by NovelCarrington



Category: Chris Evans - Actor - Fandom, Real Person Fiction
Genre: AU Story, F/M, Political
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-07 04:33:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 77,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12833367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NovelCarrington/pseuds/NovelCarrington
Summary: He had buried his wife two days ago, he needed to get back to work.  When you’re the rising Senator from the State of Massachusetts, replacing your father who stepped down after a stellar career, you aren’t allowed to mourn like regular people.When you’re a highly-decorated Marine who stepped into public service, who speaks so eloquently everyone, on both sides of the aisle takes notice, you can’t take time away for any reason.When you are an outspoken member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and it’s known that you have first-hand knowledge of CIA protocols, well you’re groomed to be the next Presidential candidate.





	1. Prologue

The lights were low in the office, just a single lamp on the side table next to the leather couch.  The amber liquid in the glass was doing nothing to numb the ache in his chest.  The only sound in the room was the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner.  He hated that clock, but Bitsy had insisted that they buy it.  She was Bitsy to him, but Elizabeth Evans to everyone else, the love of his life.  His wife, the woman he wanted to be the mother of his children, the woman who would be his confidant and partner as he maneuvered through this ridiculous life.  He just didn’t realize that when his vows said ‘till death do us part,’ that it would come so quickly.

They wanted children but conceiving had been difficult, a doctor’s visit to figure out why had led to the cancer diagnosis.  By the time of the diagnosis it was too advanced, nothing that could be done.  It was aggressive cancer, already Stage 4.  While the doctors indicated nothing could be done, it didn’t mean he didn’t try to save her.  She was his wife and he wasn’t going to just let her die.  He had resources and he would use them.  The treatments didn’t work and the loss of Bitsy was inevitable.  Comfort measures were put into place and he never left her side.   They had kept her fight quiet, electing not to publicize it even when the campaign argued it would be good for his numbers.  He wanted privacy and Bitsy deserved her dignity.

A knock on the heavy wooden door broke him from his memories.  “Senator, the car is here.”

Chris turned to see his Chief of Staff standing in the entryway, “Thanks, Patrick, I’ll be right there.”  As Patrick backed out of the room, Chris swallowed the remnants of his glass and stood.  He grabbed his suit jacket from the back of the chair and sat his glass on the coffee table.  He knew the housekeeper, Ruby, would come in and take care of it for him.  Bitsy would have yelled at him for not handling it himself, but he had to get back to Washington.

He had buried his wife two days ago, he needed to get back to work.  When you’re the rising Senator from the State of Massachusetts, replacing your father who stepped down after a stellar career, you aren’t allowed to mourn like regular people.

When you’re a highly-decorated Marine who stepped into public service, who speaks so eloquently everyone, on both sides of the aisle takes notice, you can’t take time away for any reason.

When you are an outspoken member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and it’s known that you have first-hand knowledge of CIA protocols, well you’re groomed to be the next Presidential candidate.


	2. Greer Hamilton

The doors of the elevator slide open and I’m met with a cacophony of sounds.  Activity is bustling on the sixth-floor of the offices of Rothschild and Miller, a premier law firm in Metropolitan DC.  Not only does this firm handle corporate litigation and high-profile cases, but we also house the largest contingency of Capitol Hill lobbyists.  The number of people, excuse me, associates, that we have to work at this firm are beyond staggering.  Every attorney has an assistant, each assistant seems to have an assistant and so on. Don’t even get me started on counting the number of interns, mail room attendants, clerical workers, and researchers.  Actually, that’s just on the litigation side of the house and doesn’t include the staff on the lobbying side.

I graduated law school at Columbia and came to work at Rothschild and Miller with visions of grandeur.  I was positive I would be the next best thing to hit the legal scene.  I graduated high in my class and passed the bar exam for the State of New York on my first try.  Taking the bar to practice law in DC was a cake walk.  I was ready to take the legal world by storm and put my education to good use.  I told my family I would one day hold a seat on the Supreme Court or in the least be on the Federal Bench.  Failure wasn’t an option for me.  Then I hit DC and things changed.

There was no storm when I hit Rothschild and Miller.  My academic achievements meant nothing to them.  I was relegated to the bottom rung of an extremely tall ladder and it was not easy to climb to the next rung.  I excelled in corporate law over criminal or family law.  So, with that in mind, I was put to work within corporate litigation.  My degree in Finance came in handy for the type of work I was going to do.  Except I was starting out with research and had no shot at getting near a real client.  And there was no way I was going to make it to the courtroom.

Eventually, I began to get recognized for my hard work and, in some cases, my unique take on things led the powers that be to give me a shot.  I built a strong track record by winning every case I took to court.  But more importantly, I had the ability to mediate to keep cases from going to court.  This meant I was winning cases without going to court and securing settlements that were guaranteed payouts.  My successful mediation percentage and revenue generated were the highest in the firm.  Even better than some of the partners.  While it was no storm, I did believe I was building momentum.

So, imagine my surprise when I was called to meet with the Managing Partner, Preston Miller.  My heart was pounding and I thought this meant a raise or bonus.  If I was lucky, a bit of a promotion with a move to a more respectable cubicle.  Instead, he told me that my hard work had caught his attention and he wanted to move me from litigation to lobbying.  I didn’t know what to say.  I wanted to tell him ‘no’ and fight my reasons for declining the move.  But as my boss and the Managing Partner of the firm, I felt it best to keep quiet.

I had been with the firm for eighteen months and I didn’t even realize that Preston Miller knew who I was.  Now he’s telling me that I have a very specific skillset that would be better suited for lobbying.  My talent was being wasted in litigation.  What did he mean by that?  Was I supposed to be offended or was he paying me a compliment?  It turns out, it was a little of both.  I’ve now been with the firm for three years and I’m routinely mentioned as one of the most influential lobbyists on Capitol Hill. As I step out of the elevator and head down the marble hallway towards my office, my heels click on the floor and play like a pied piper song for a legion of clerks and interns.  Suddenly I have several of them falling in line behind me.  They are all helping with the research on my latest piece of legislation, a telecommunications bill that will go to the House floor for a vote within the next week.  Almost daily changes or addendums are being processed and another tree is killed to generate the mound of paperwork being thrown my way.  I half expect Philip Grammar, a lobbyist for green initiatives, to yell at me for the number of trees sacrificed for this damn bill.

As I near my office, my Executive Assistant, Joanie, comes from behind her desk to take my briefcase and purse while handing me my laptop.  I head for the door of my personal conference room where several clerks are already seated around the table.  The ones who had been following me quickly fall into the remaining chairs.

As I prepare to begin the meeting, Joanie approaches me with a cup of coffee.  She is good to me.  I can’t get through the early meetings without high doses of caffeine.  I’d mainline the coffee if I could.  As I take the cup from her, she leans forward and whispers, “Mr. Miller wants to see you in his office when this meeting concludes.”

I turn from the people assembled at the table and look directly at Joanie.  My eyebrows have shot up and I can’t hide the look of surprise that is plastered on my face.  My voice even cracks when I say, “What?  Why does he want to see me?”  Joanie shrugged and that was the extent of my answer.  “What’s going on, Joanie?”  Now I am starting to worry.  Joanie backed out of the office and closes the door with a soft click.  My stomach has suddenly plummeted and I have to hold it together for this meeting.  I turn back to the table and realize they are all staring at me.  They evidently heard where I need to go after this meeting.

I have every right to worry.  I don’t interact with Preston Miller.  Ok, there was that one time for my “promotion,” but that’s it.  He is never seen on the sixth floor.  I’ve never been to a meeting where he has been in attendance.  In fact, I don’t think I’ve even seen him at the company holiday party.  I’m aware that he knows I exist on paper.  But with the number of employees his firm has on their payroll, I can’t expect that he would remember me.

My notoriety for being influential doesn’t really mean much to me.  I have had success with my lobbying career.  The bills that I work on usually pass and I get what my client is wanting.  But I work on small legislative bills that have no vital impact.  I’m not funding cancer research or feeding the homeless.  I’m working on subsidies for farmers and small groups.  It is important work, I’m not minimizing it.  But I’m not anything special.

This telecommunications bill is my first big piece of legislation.   This could be a major boost to my career but it won’t catapult me to superstardom.  I would liken the ratings for influential lobbyists to those of the Top 25 rankings within college sports.  You are judged not solely by your wins and losses but by your strength of schedule as well; how hard were your opponents and how well are they ranked?  If they assessed numbers to the each of us on the list, I might make the Top 25 but there is no way I’m cracking the Top 10.

By this point my mind is spinning out of control and I need to get together.  I have a meeting to conduct and business to attend to.  Unfortunately, my mind keeps going back to why would he want to see me?  What have I done wrong?  Did I make someone mad and they called Mr. Miller to handle it?    I’ve had a good working relationship with everyone on the Hill.  Well, except for one Senator but he has trouble getting along with most people.  I haven’t gotten into any knock-down drag-out fights with anyone.  Well, again, except for that one Senator.  We generally just scowl at one another and trade sarcastic jabs.  He’s a bit of a self-righteous prick but he certainly is intelligent and can carry a room.  My mind keeps going back to when I had my last encounter with him.  I know I left the room and said he was a pompous fuck, but I’m pretty sure he wasn’t within earshot when I said it.

Someone at the table coughs, snapping me back to reality.   “Sorry, good morning everyone.  Who wants to start us off?”  The meeting kicks off and I take a seat, listening intently to each person provide an update while I take notes and try to forget about my impending meeting with Preston Miller.  Unfortunately, it isn’t really working for me.

The meeting lasted about an hour and I think I heard every third or fourth word.  I know I should have been paying attention to the details of the bill because I’d have to speak to broadband internet and phone service and sound as if I knew what the fuck I’m talking about.  Actually, I understood quite a bit of it but my job as a lobbyist for the telecom industry was to make it seem as if I actually cared about all of this.  I do care, I mean it’s all important and it means so much to so many but when I know my boss wants to talk to me it overpowers every other thing in my brain.

~ * ~

The meeting ends and I’m taking calming breaths to lower my heart rate.  I pull my shoulders back and confidently exit the conference room, heading directly for the elevator bank.  Mr. Miller’s office is two floors above where I work.  I’ve had to go up to the eighth floor for meetings before, just not with Preston.  When I’ve had to go upstairs, I would always take the stairs.  I’ve got well-toned legs and taking the stairs in heels has been a major contributor to that.  However, I need to appear cool and with a calm demeanor; taking the steps would not help with that mission.  What it could do is make me huff and puff and give the wrong impression.  I would appear out of breath or winded; in other words, potentially weak.  Never show the boss a sign of weakness.  So, I take the elevator and know that I can rock the calm and cool demeanor with no issues.  I meditate in the elevator and employ some of the techniques as I walk toward Preston’s office.

I’m so lost in my meditation that I don’t even realize I’m standing in front of his office until his executive assistant, Margaret, speaks to me.  “Good morning, Ms. Hamilton.   Mr. Miller will be happy to see that you’ve arrived.”  She stepped around her desk to begin walking toward his office.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t call ahead of time.  Is he available to meet now or should I come back?”  I was suddenly nervous and began to fidget.

Margaret just smiled, “He knew you had a meeting this morning.  He cleared his calendar so he could visit with you when your meeting ended.” She motioned for me to follow her towards the large oak doors that led to the corner office.  She tapped lightly while she opened the door to the right very slowly, “Ms. Hamilton is here to see you now.”

A deep voice thundered back in response, “Wonderful, show her in Margaret!”

As Margaret stepped out of the way, I tentatively entered the office.  It looked just as I remembered from the last time I was here.  Large windows looking out over the landscape of the city, making the room bright and airy.  It was a nice contrast to the heavy oak desk and credenza where Preston Miller sat.  He had a two leather side chairs in front of his desk and I remembered how comfortable they were.

As I walked toward his desk, Mr. Miller stood and pulled his shoulders back, he was an impressive man to be sure.  He was almost six foot three, in his early sixties with salt and pepper hair that was amazingly thick and wavy.  He was handsome and the wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, along with his three-piece suit, gave him such a distinguished look.  He smiled at me and it was warm and inviting, not at all threatening and scary as I had feared it would be.

I extended my hand, not sure if it was the proper protocol or not.  “Good morning, sir, I do apologize for keeping you waiting.”

He took my hand, shaking lightly, then gestured for me to take a seat.  “Nonsense, Greer, I knew you had a meeting this morning.”  He took a seat in his large leather chair and steepled his fingers, “So tell me, how are things progressing with your telecom legislation?  I believe there are some festivities tonight, correct?”

I shifted slightly in my seat and cleared my throat, “Well, things are progressing nicely.  We’ve had a few tweaks to the bill within the last twenty-four hours so I’m reviewing the impact to speak to those points later this evening.”  There was a gala event put on by the sponsors of the legislation and I would be attending to rub elbows with the politicians.  I would expound the benefits of the legislation and stave off any concerns that this bill would be harmful to competition and only make the marketplace easier for our evening’s host.  “For votes, I need four but I am aiming to secure six to be safe.”

As I spoke, Preston watched over me carefully.  I assumed he was watching my body language to see if I was giving off any signs that I was less than confident in my words.  If I was, it was because the man scared me.

I tried to shake it off and continued, “My assistant is putting together a Congressional target list so I know where to focus my attention.  We have been tracking our votes and we want to focus on the ones who were on the fence or who had not committed at all.  I also need to make sure these most recent changes did not lose us any votes.  My primary focus tonight will be the domino members.”

A smile came to Preston’s lips when I said those words, “Ah, the domino effect!  The players who will make the other members fall in line.  I am so proud to hear you employ that tactic, Greer.  And here you were so afraid you wouldn’t take to lobbying.”  Preston let out a laugh as he reached for his glass of water and took a sip, never letting his eyes leave mine.  “You know, your success with legislation is why I wanted to speak with you this morning.”

I swallowed hard, this worried me.  I had always hoped that Preston would change his mind and send me back to litigation.  However, if he thought I was successful he would never consider moving me back.  I tried to hide my utter disappointment, “Oh?  To what degree?”

Preston stood up and came around to take the seat next to me.  He unbuttoned his suit coat and crossed his leg, becoming comfortable and trying to appear casual and friendly in his seat.  “Greer, I’ve had my eye on you for some time now. I know you probably think you’ve been flying under the radar but I’ve been closely watching your progress and I’m impressed with how you handle yourself.  Every bill you’ve been given has passed and I don’t think I’ve seen anyone out of the gate with that type of success rate.”

I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks; dropping my head I averted Preston’s eyes.  “To be fair, the legislation I’ve worked on has been non-controversial and easy to work with.  Almost everyone was willing to go with it.”

Preston let out a hearty laugh, “I notice how you said almost everyone.  You still have trouble with that one Senator don’t you?”

Cocking my head to the side, I smiled, “Yes, but doesn’t everyone?  He is insufferable, I cringe every time his name appears on my target list.  I have no idea why Joanie even bothers to list him out!  She knows he won’t even entertain a meeting with me and he never votes for any of my legislation.  I swear, I could have a bill that states all puppies are cute and cuddly and I think he’d vote against it.”

“Well, he’s not the reason I wanted to talk to you.  But he will end up playing a key role in what I want,” Preston said, his tone was ominous.  “Look, the telecom bill was an opportunity for you to test your toe in the deep end of the big pool.  I knew you could handle yourself but several members of the team were worried about whether you could hold your own.”  I scoffed at his words.  I was aware that several key members of the Executive Team had always questioned my skill and dedication to the position.  Not that I blamed them.  I wasn’t sure I could do the job either.  “Greer, I’ve know you could do this even if you’ve questioned yourself.  And with that in mind, I want to put you on the new contract for Briarwood Technical.”

Now I was freaking out.  Briarwood Technical is one of the government’s munitions contractors and every few years they have a contract that comes up for renewal within the Defense Department.  This contract has to be reviewed by the Intelligence Committee, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, and the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.  It is gone over with a fine-tooth comb to make sure that we aren’t being charged ridiculous amounts of money for bullets and missiles and that we get everything we pay for.  Getting defense contracts through are a major pain in the ass.

There is a lobbying group strictly for the defense industry and specifically for munitions, the National Association of Ordnance Contractors.  This group makes sure everyone is treated fairly and that the same rules apply across the board regardless of the size of the company.  That’s all well and good, I applaud their efforts, I really do.  But each individual contract still has to be supported, vetted and voted upon before being approved and signed.  It is up to folks like me to get Congress to review these contracts favorably and like my company over another company and all that political mumbo jumbo.

“Mr. Miller, I’m stunned that you would consider me for this position.  I mean, it’s an honor, but I don’t know that I can handle that just yet.  I mean, I don’t know that I have the clout to do for Briarwood what they need to ensure that contract is signed.”  I was nervous because I knew if that contract weren't signed it would be my head on a serving platter.

Preston slapped his thighs and stood up and walked back to his desk and took a seat.  “You know you’d have to cozy up to that Senator and get on his good side, right?  Does that scare you?”

What?  Was he calling me out?  “Excuse me?  You think I’m afraid of one man?”

“I don’t know, Greer, you tell me.  Are you telling me that all the work you’ve done and the job you’re aspiring to do is going to be waylaid because of one man?  Are you planning on putting your career on hold until he leaves office?  You might never get to do what you want because I don’t think he’s going anywhere.”  Preston sat down and began rifling through the paperwork on his desk.  He didn’t look up at me, it was as if he was dismissing me out of hand.

“My concern for my ability has nothing to do with him.  I am concerned with my background and lack of experience.  I don’t want to put our client in an awkward position, that’s all.”

“How about you let me worry about that?  Go to your gala event tonight and give it some thought. But I am going to be blunt with you, not taking this position will diminish your chances for advancement in the future.  This is your brass ring, don’t let it slip by.”

I nodded and thanked Preston for his time, letting him know I would check in with him in a few days.  I softly closed his door behind me and felt as if my brain was in a fog as I walked toward the elevator.  I waved goodbye to Margaret and at the last minute, elected to walk down the stairs.  Figuring the clicking of my heels and their echo in the stairwell would provide a soundtrack for my thoughts.

I walked into my office and had just sat down when I heard the door shut.  I looked up to see Joanie making herself comfortable.  While she was my executive assistant, she was also one of my best friends.  I had met her through a mutual friend when I moved to DC and we became roommates when we were both stranded at the last minute.  Her first roommate flaked out and mine got engaged.  Joanie had been working at an advertising agency and kept complaining about how much she hated her boss and her job.  So, when I had the approval to hire an assistant, I told her about the position and said if she could handle working for me she should apply.  Now, three years later, we still live together and work together.  Somehow, our relationship just works.

“What did he want?” She asks as she puts her feet up on my desk and settles into the chair across from me.  “Please tell me he’s moving you back to legal and getting us out of legislation!”

I look up and give her a wry smile, “Oh, now why in the world would he go and do something like that?  No, he loves me in this position so much that he’s giving me the Briarwood Technical contract to get approved.”

“Holy shit, Greer!  That’s huge!”

“Yeah, I know,” I said as I dropped my head to my desk, banging my head slowly on the solid mahogany.  “He said I get everything passed and it’s time I move up.”  I raised my head and made eye contact with Joanie, “I’ll have to work with the Senator who shall not be named. You know he’s the Chairman of the Intelligence Committee and he’s part of God knows whatever other committees up on the Hill.  He’s the biggest damn domino up there and if he isn’t for this contract, it’s sunk.”

Joanie put her feet down and held her stomach as she began to laugh uncontrollably. “What is so damn funny, Joanie?”

“Greer, you just made a Harry Potter reference.  Do you really think the Senator is like Lord Voldemort?”

“Of course not!  The Senator has hair and a nose for God sake!”


	3. Greer Hamilton

I had a hard time concentrating for the rest of the afternoon.  My mind kept going back to my conversation with Preston Miller and his decision to move me up in the lobbying chain.  Part of me was excited about the opportunity.  It meant that hard work was paying off and I was getting attention for my efforts and being given an opportunity to advance.  But it was also a letdown.  I didn’t want to be a successful lobbyist, I wanted to be a successful litigator.  I could quit, move to another city and start over but it wouldn’t be the same.  There was prestige working for this firm and I enjoyed the pace of living in DC.  Leaving Rothschild and Miller to move to a smaller firm somewhere else to start over was just not appealing.  I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I had to sit through several meetings regarding the legislation and the target list.  There would be other lobbyists attending the event tonight; however, I was the lead on this legislation so I was running point.  I would be responsible for securing the new votes while several of the other lobbyists in attendance would make sure the votes we had were still locked down.  Feeling as if I had accomplished all I could, I left the office to go home and get ready for the evening.

One of the advantages to having Joanie as a roommate was that she could sympathize when I had a rough day.  She knew when to leave well enough alone or when to let me vent about what I was dealing with.  The bonus to having her as a roommate was being friends with her sister.  Joanie’s sister, Cora, was the fashion director at an upscale boutique in Georgetown.  One of those boutiques that get designer gowns and sells them at ridiculous prices.  The kind of stores where the wives and mistresses of those on Capitol Hill would shop.  

When the store has dresses that didn’t sell, they mark them on clearance and Cora snags the best ones for Joanie and me.  We don’t care that they might end up being ‘last year’s’ style.  We just love that we get them for 80% off the rack rate.  I’ve rented gowns off the internet as well if I have enough notice on an event.  I really have no shame.  Looking the part is expensive and I just don’t want to spend a ton of money to look like I spent a ton of money.  

If I’m going to spend a ton of money, I’ll do that on shoes.  Those I wear every day.  I’ll even spend good money on fancy suits since In need to dress to impress.  But spending a ton of money to have a closet full of evening dresses.  Nah, I’ll buy them cheap or I’ll rent.  I am careful not to wear the same dress to any events.  There are always photographers at these things and heaven forbid you ever show up wearing the same thing twice.  

I am excited to wear tonight’s dress.  I’ve been holding onto this one for a while, just waiting for the perfect night.  It’s a blush Badgley Mischka dress with a boat neckline and a dramatic low draped back.  I got this dress from Cora for a little bit of nothing.  I was lucky that it was an odd size that didn’t sell, but it fit me perfectly.  It hugs my curves and the embellishments at the hips are subtle and not in the least bit flashy.  Everything about this dress screams classy.  That was my plan for tonight.  I am not using my body to get votes, I am using my brain and the specifics of this legislation.  I just have to hope that the silver strappy heels I am wearing don’t have me twisting my ankle and falling into the arms of a Senator.

I go with a light dusting of makeup to give me a natural look.  I hate the whole made up look and it never goes well for me, anyway.  I had an idea of how I wanted my hair to look but couldn’t make it happen.  So, Joanie has agreed to help me style it.  We have gone for a partial updo with cascading curls.  

I grab my clutch and give a final spin for Joanie to check my look.  “You look dazzling,” she said with a bright smile, “Knock ‘em dead.”

I head out the door and to the waiting limo that the sponsor has sent for me.  I’m running a little behind but there is nothing wrong with arriving fashionably late.    

~ * ~

I had nothing to worry about regarding the time, the chauffeur knew a few shortcuts and had me at the hotel with time to spare.    I started to second guess my decision to come to this event alone.  I figured it would be easier to work if I didn’t have to worry about a date.  However, truth be told, I hated walking into an event alone.  I felt as if all eyes were on me and they were judging me for my decision to be solo.  

Tonight’s event was in the grand ballroom of one of the glitzier hotels in DC.  As I walked in I noticed the low lighting and the soft music.  There was a string quartet sitting in the far corner of the stage.  There were at least a hundred tables set up with ten or twelve seats at each one.  Fresh flower centerpieces stood tall on every table.  The decorations were understated but elegant and the room could almost have been mistaken for a wedding reception.  

What gave it away that it was a normal DC event instead of a wedding were the paid escorts, they stood out so easily.  So many of the men in DC thought they were sneaky by hiring escorts.  They figured no one would be the wiser, but in reality, it was well known.  Most politicians, lawyers, and businessmen didn’t want to bring their wives to these events, so they hired someone to be their date.  They were hired to keep their mouth shut and to look pretty.  It was disgusting.  But don’t get me wrong, if there were some good looking male escorts, I’d be partaking in it to keep myself from showing up alone.

I started to mingle with the crowd as I moved toward my assigned table for the evening.  I was not given a table near the front, but I wasn’t relegated to the rear of the ballroom, either.  Instead, I was put at a table that would put me right in the middle of the action.  I would assume that my position with Rothschild and Miller had something to do with this spot.  Maybe there were some advantages to my role after all.  

I let out a sigh of relief when I noticed the place cards for those I would be sharing the table with. I would be seated with several Senators and Congressmen that I was familiar with and had a good rapport with.  In fact, two of them were on my target list.  Now I was starting to wonder if Joanie had a hand in my seating arrangement.  I was not complaining.

My seat was on the outside of the table, close to the walkway and what would be dance floor later in the evening.  I would usually complain about a spot like this.  It’s vulnerable and my back is to the action.  However, I knew that once dinner was over, I would be standing and mingling and my spot would be prime.   I sat my clutch down on the table, it wasn’t holding anything valuable.  I had my purse stolen in college so I had learned the fine art of concealment.  My ID, bank card, health insurance card, and apartment key were tucked into a small pouch that I kept in my bra.  If there were ever a chance of getting lucky, I’d slip into the powder room to freshen up and slip the pouch into my clutch.  Viola! Embarrassment averted.

My cell phone did not stay in my clutch.  I kept it in my hand at all times.  It was the nature of the job to be wired for calls at all times, no matter what.  I turned to head toward the bar at the back of the room and ran into a solid mass.  I stepped backward, letting out an “ugh” from the hit.  But when I looked up to see who I hit so I could apologize, I drew in a sharp breath.

Before I could say a word, he was barking at me.  “Do you think you could watch where you’re going?”  His tone was sharp and there was no regard as to whether I was hurt or not.  

I didn’t move, at least not for a minute while I tried to compose myself.  Then I quickly scanned over him to see if he had been holding a drink that might have spilled.  Dear God, he looked amazing.  Damn, I needed to quit thinking like that!  When I realized he was not holding a drink and seemed to be dry, I barked back at him.  “Actually, I believe that you need to watch where you’re going.  You walked into my personal space so you’re the one who would owe me an apology.”

He just stared at me before letting out a grunt in disgust.  There was a muffled laugh behind him, “I think she’s got you there, Chris.”  He turned and shifted his stormy glare at the offender and the laughter immediately stopped.  “Or, maybe not,” the man replied.

He glared back at me, no apology provided, but no witty retort, either.  He began to walk off and the man who had been standing behind him nodded his head and smiled.  When they were clear of me, I realized I was shaking profusely.  The man is so damn intense.  His blue eyes were clouded over and stormy, getting me worked up in more ways than one.  Simultaneously I wanted to slap him for being rude and kiss that scowl off of his lips.  I had seen him dressed up before, but tonight he looked different.  He had never made me have feelings like this before.  Damn him!

I looked down at my phone and quickly type a message to Joanie.  I figured if I started to chat with her it would allow me to refocus.

“Lord Evans just ran into me, literally.  Told me I should watch where I’m going.”

It took less than a minute for Joanie to respond.  That didn’t surprise me in the least, she loves these events because she knows they stress me out and I will text her throughout the night.

“Lord Evans?  Did he say, Greer, I am your daddy!”

“Oh shit, stop it.  I don’t have a daddy kink and that’s just wrong!  I’m thinking Voldemort not Vader!”

I could almost hear Joanie laughing across town.  Suddenly my desire for a drink had lost its appeal.  Oh, I needed alcohol but I needed to get drunk and since I had to work, it wasn’t an option.  No, drinking away the Evans encounter would have to wait until later.  Besides, the night was only just starting and I was sure he would find some way to piss me off again before the night was over.  I elected to sit back down and take in the crowd, people watch and get an idea of who was here and plot my strategy for the night.  I knew that my best approach would be to mingle after dinner when everyone had a few drinks in them and a full stomach.  They would be open to listening and striking a deal because they weren’t watching for the food to be served.  I also knew that several Senators could be swayed to dance and I could hold them captive for conversation for a few minutes.  

I scanned the room and found that Senator Evans had moved to the bar at the far end of the room.  I quickly averted my eyes so that I didn’t make eye contact.  I just needed to make sure I kept out of his line of sight all evening.  I could do this.  As I moved to scan the other side of the room, I noticed one of the Senators who was assigned to my table heading in my direction.

“Well, Ms. Greer Hamilton, I am so happy to see that they’ve placed you at our table this evening,” the boisterous voice of Senator Boyd Johnson from Texas rang out.  I moved close to greet him and he encased me in a bear hug.  I’ve worked with Senator Johnson on several bills and we get along wonderfully.  He isn’t on my target list for tonight, though.  He is already firmly ensconced in my corner.

“Senator, I’m so happy to see you this evening,” I turned to face his wife and gave her a hug as well, “Eleanor, it is so nice to see you.  Tell me, did you two have anything to do with me being placed at your table?”

“Ha, I wish I could take credit for that.  I’d like to find out who’s responsible and thank ‘em properly.” Senator Johnson scanned the room, “Quite the crowd here tonight.  Tell me, Greer, how many votes are you needing?”

“Technically, four but I’m shooting for six to be safe.  There’ve been some changes to the bill and I’m worried votes might have flipped.  Have you heard anything?”

“No, but we can start poking around.  I guess you have a hit list for tonight?  Who are you focusing on?”

I had to smile, Boyd knew me well enough to know how the game was played.  “I have ten names on my list.  Let’s see, Meyers, Tennyson, Pearson, Pendleton, Stewart, Bryson, Conners, Kelly, Henke, and of course, Evans.”

Boyd could not hold back his laughter, “Well you have Stewart and Henke with us at the table so that should be easy enough.  We can get them on our side, they just like to play hard to get.  You can probably get Conners and Pearson because they were on the fence the last I heard.  Are you going to even attempt Evans?”

I gave Boyd the evil eye, “Are you serious?  The man ran into me earlier and gave me a death glare.  I’m surprised I didn’t spontaneously combust.”

Eleanor glanced back and forth between her husband and me, “Are you two talking about Chris?”  Boyd and I both nodded in response to her question.  “He’s a nice man, Greer, what don’t you like about him?”

“It’s what doesn’t he like about me?  I’ve tried to speak with him several times, Eleanor, and each time he brushes me off and acts like I am beneath him.  I think he’s arrogant.”

Before I could say anything further, the rest of our table began arriving and I needed to calm my blunt speak.  While I was comfortable speaking that way in front of Senator Johnson and his wife, I didn’t have that comfort level with the other Senators.  And it would have been highly inappropriate to talk about another Congressional member so freely.  Especially if my words were less than glowing.

As we sat down to dinner, our conversation was light and we stayed away from any powder keg issues.  Instead, we talked about non-controversial subjects such as books, movies, and music.  While we all had differing opinions, we didn’t end up in any shouting matches and we knew it wouldn’t hurt any of the political conversations we would need to delve into later.  If anything it helped to forge better relationships with Senators Stewart and Henke which would benefit me in future negotiations.

By the time the mingling and dancing started, Stewart and Henke were firmly planted on my side of the fence.  Senator Stewart also let me know that he was friends with Senator Tennyson and he would be happy to go and talk to him and grease the skids for me.  All I would need to do would be to sweep in and charm him before the end of the night and he felt I would have that vote as well.  If that were true, I had three votes.  

I stood, thanking everyone for their scintillating conversation and prepared to go and mingle.  Eleanor walked up to me and whispered in my ear, “You look beautiful so you should take advantage and at least approach Chris.  He’s not as bad as you make him out to be, Greer.  Give the man the benefit of the doubt and realize he’s under pressure.”

I smiled at Eleanor and thanked her for her encouragement.  Then I promptly walked in the opposite direction of where Senator Evans stood.  I was going to do my best to stay away from him.  I had successfully mingled throughout the room, not just going after those Senators on my target list, but reaching out to the votes I already had to make sure everything was still good.  I danced with several Senators and Congressmen and found that I was actually enjoying myself.  In fact, I had not taken to texting Joanie, for which I would hear about when I got home.

By my count, I had secured my four votes and had actually received what appeared to be six.  However, I was getting ready to leave when Stewart motioned for me to join him and Senator Tennyson.  As promised, Stewart had already started talking to Tennyson and I was wrapping up the deal when low and behold, my nemesis approached.

Evans extended his hand to Frank Stewart, completely ignoring the fact that I was having a conversation with Senator Tennyson.  “How are you, Frank?  I’ve been trying to find an opportunity to speak with you all evening.”

Frank smiled and tried to step to the side to allow me some time with Tennyson.  The problem was just as he did that, Evans hijacked that conversation as well.  “Hey Grant, good to see you.  I actually need to speak to you as well.  We have this new security bill coming up that will be going through the Intelligence Committee, I wanted to see what your thoughts were on it.”

Grant and Frank both looked back over at me as they realized Evans had complete disregard for my presence.  I touched Grant on the shoulder and told him I would reach out to him later.  I mouthed a goodbye to Frank and backed away from the conversation without acknowledging Senator Evans.

~ * ~

I let myself into the apartment, it was almost midnight by the time I got home, and I was exhausted.  Although I was also furious which would keep me from being able to sleep.  I tried to open the door quietly, but it didn’t matter, Joanie was sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket and watching TV.

“I’m highly disappointed, Hamilton.  Where were all the live texts giving me the blow by blow of this shitty party?”

I threw myself on the couch next to her and grabbed the nearest pillow, clutching it to my chest.  “I actually had a fairly decent time.”  I know that my voice didn’t sound convincing and she would call me on it.

It didn’t take long before she did.  “Let me guess, you had another run-in with Senator Palpatine?”

I couldn’t contain my laughter, “We’ve moved on from daddy kink to overlord?”

“I think it fits, right?”

“Well, he isn’t old and wrinkly, but yeah, it fits,” I turned to look at Joanie, never letting go of the pillow, “I was talking to two Senators and he just walked right up and interrupted.  He spoke to Stewart and Tennyson as if I wasn’t even standing there.  I’m telling you, Joanie, he hates me for some reason and I’ve yet to figure out what it is.  Have I ruined his agenda or some shit?”

“Maybe he’s hot for you and you get him all worked up,” Joanie said with a maniacal laugh.

“Yeah, right, I’m sure that’s what it is,” I couldn’t contain the sarcasm in my voice.  

“Um, Greer,  you’re clutching that pillow a little tight.  Is that so I can’t see your nipples poking through your dress because you’re hot and bothered talking about Evans?”

I tossed the pillow at Joanie’s head and stormed into my bedroom, slamming the door behind me.


	4. Senator Chris Evans

I’m awake and staring at the ceiling.  I’ve been doing this for the past hour because sleep has been eluding me over the last week.  I fall asleep but wake up after a few hours and then can’t get back to sleep.  My brain kept a running countdown to today.  Maybe, now that the day is here, the noise will cease and sleep will come back to me.  As I mull this over, the alarm begins to buzz on the nightstand.  I reach over and slap it off and then throw the covers back.  I don’t want to get out of bed, but it isn’t like I’ll sleep so what’s the point.  I’d like to call in sick, ignore the duties that I have and hide at home all day.  But that’s not really an option for me, either.  

I get out of bed and head to the bathroom.  Staring at myself in the mirror, I notice the dark circles under my eyes.  I think I’m starting to age.  At least I feel a hell of a lot older than thirty-six.  Maybe that is insomnia talking.  I decide that I’ll clear my head and go for a run.  When I was in the Marines, we always started the day with a run.  It was supposed to be torture, maybe that’s why I’m doing it now.  I’ll try to clear my head and think.  Running doesn’t change my attitude, although, you would think it would with the endorphins that are released.  I suspect people on the Hill would wish it would change my attitude.  After all, I’m not necessarily known for my sparkling disposition.

I’m driven, not hateful or rude, just driven.  I get along just fine with my staff and a good majority of the Senators.  I’m just not overly fond of the reporters or the lobbyists.  My biggest problem is actually with the reporters.  I know they have a job to do, I get that.  However, some of them have no shame when it comes to butting in where they shouldn’t be or fabricating a story it gets them a headline.  Several years ago, I had wanted, no needed, my privacy and they'd done all they could to dig for information.  Several reporters had blatantly lied and made up stories about why I was out of the spotlight.  Some media outlets had been respectful.  Others, not so much.  In the years that have passed, I’ve never forgotten, and I’ve certainly not forgiven.

Don’t even get me started on my issues with the lobbyists.  I know they have a job to do, just like the reporters.  But some of the things that they push and advocate are immoral and wrong.  They push agendas that aren’t always in the best interest of the country or the people they are supposedly trying to help.  My father warned me when I took over his Senate seat, beware of the lobbyists and their plans.  Always make an informed decision and don’t just buy what they’re selling.  I don’t let the money and influence of corporations sway my vote.  It makes me some enemies on the Hill but it makes my constituents happy to know that I can’t be bought.  

As my feet continue to pound the pavement, I realize my lungs are starting to burn.  This doesn’t normally happen, so obviously I’ve run more than my usual route.  I stop and take a look around, the scenery is different.  I was so lost in my own thoughts that I had lost track of where I was.  I realize I am four blocks from my regular route, I turn back and start for home.

~ * ~

The hallway of the Capitol Building is quiet and the sounds of my shoes echo through the marble halls.  Not all of the lights are on, just the emergency ones.  It was a little eerie the first time I walked into the building when it was barely lit, but, after all these years, I’m used to it.  I check my watch, it’s 6:30 am.  I’m late as I walk into the office.  Well, late by my standards but still early for the rest of the staff.  I’m not surprised at all to see Patrick at his desk.  Sometimes I think it’s a competition between the two of us as to who can get into the office first.  Overall, I’m winning that competition, in case you’re wondering.  

I nod my head at him, our traditional greeting, as I walk past him into my office.  It takes him less than a minute to follow me into my office and plop down on the couch.  The couch in my office is his favorite spot in the entire office.  He’s commented more than once as to how comfortable it is and it beats any furniture he has at his house.  I think he’s hoping if I ever leave office that I’ll give him dibs on it.  I just don’t have the heart to tell him that it belonged to Bitsy and me and used to be in our bedroom.  It might change his opinion on how much he loves the couch.  

“Glad to see you made it in, I was about to send out a search party,” Patrick chided with his dry wit, but it was falling flat this morning.

“Fuck off, Patrick,” I responded while rifling through the stack of mail that had been placed on my desk.  

“Oh, you’re in one of those moods today.  Should I clear your calendar since you're PMSing today?”  I gave him a glare, pissed off that of all people he didn’t seem to remember what today was or why my mood would be what it was.  

No words were exchanged and before I could break the silence, he did it for me.  “I’m not oblivious to what today is.  I also know it’s a big one.  But Chris, she’d want you to move on and try to find happiness.  I hate seeing you this way, man.”

I could tell he was sincere.  That just made it harder.  I didn’t want to say anything in response to him because I was afraid of what might come out of my mouth.  Patrick was not only my Chief of Staff, but he was also my best friend.  We had been through some hellacious times in the Marines together; seeing things that we would never be able to unsee.  You form a bond with someone when you’ve trusted them with your life.

More than any of those things, Patrick is my brother-in-law.  Rather he was, does the designation change when your spouse dies?

I sat down in my oversized desk chair and crossed my arms across my chest, “So what is on my calendar today?  How many meetings do I have?”

Patrick flipped open his notebook, what I jokingly refer to as his Bible so he can look at my calendar.  “You have an Intelligence Committee meeting at ten and an Armed Forces Committee meeting at one.  You have a meeting with Senator Francis at three and with Senator Jennings at four.  Plus tonight you have the telecommunications gala.”

I hung my head.  Why couldn’t I just have a light day?  I could manage the Intelligence and Armed Forces meetings.  I would be bored to tears meeting with Francis and Jennings.  I had no idea what they wanted anyway.  It was the telecommunications event I really wanted to get out of.  I hate social events but I really hated social events where lobbyists were involved.

“Patrick, you have to get me out of the telecom thing.  I don’t have it in me to go that tonight.”

Patrick looked up at me with fear in his eyes, “This is where I have to get firm with you, Senator.” I hated when he shifted into professional mode.  “They are shy of votes and you know there will be a push to move the needle tonight.  You can either make waves to keep this legislation from passing or you can side with them and push it through.  It’s in your hands, you’re a vote they will target.  If nothing else, you always enjoy the opportunity to rattle the cages of the lobbyists, right?”

He had a point, but it didn’t mean I had to like it or agree with it.  “For the record, has anyone even called and attempted to set up a meeting with me to discuss this legislation?  I don’t recall anyone asking me about it or seeing it on the calendar.”  I had to admit, I was confused.  Normally when there is a vote for anything, the lobbyist have called me numerous times and have attempted to get in front of me for a meeting.  I politely decline every request.  I’ve been ambushed in the hallways and have made it clear I am not interested in speaking to them.  But they still call.

I hear the talk, they call me a domino vote.  For some reason, they think I wield enough power that I can get other Senators to fall in line behind me and vote with me on anything.  I make them fall like dominos.  It’s a ridiculous notion. I have been called enigmatic and eloquent – I can get behind that.  But I don’t have power, at least not like anyone believes me to have.  

What I do is make my own informed decisions without being swayed by the lobbying groups or their money.  I don’t let them take me on expensive lunch or dinner dates.  I don’t go on vacations or fancy trips.  I can’t be bought and neither can my vote.  I don’t like to be spoon-fed what some marketing company has come up with to try and make legislation more palatable.  I do my own research, ask my own questions, and vote my conscience.  I spent enough time in the Military and with the CIA to know when I’m being fed a line of bullshit.  That my friends is why I make the lobbying groups nervous.

Patrick went back to his notebook and then grabbed his iPad and began searching through his emails.  I saw the look of confusion flicker in his eyes before he spoke, “Um, no, you’ve actually not been contacted at all about this legislations.  No calls, no emails, no meeting invites, nada.”  He put is iPad to the side and shut his notebook.  Now he looked pained as if he couldn’t quite understand this.  “They need your vote, Chris.  Why didn’t they reach out to you?  I mean, I’d have expected some sort of contact.”

“Who’s handling this one?  Petty or Lincolnshire?” I ask with a bit of amusement in my voice.

Patrick shifted in his seat, “Neither, Rothschild and Miller are running point on this one.  Petty is doing some work on it with them, but R&M is doing the heavy lifting.”

I couldn’t suppress my grin. “Well, maybe they’ve finally learned their lesson.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Chris?”

I leaned forward bracing myself on the desk. “I’ve never talked to a single lobbyist from their firm.  So, maybe they’ve realized that there’s no need to call on me.  I got into a verbal altercation with a member of their staff at an event and she called me a pompous fuck when she left the room.” I sat back and laughed at the memory. “I don’t think she knows I heard her, though.  But maybe they finally got the message and realized it wouldn’t do them any good to call me.  Hallelujah!”

Patrick started to laugh, “She called you a pompous fuck?  How in the hell did I miss this?  Which lobbyist was it because every single one of them I’ve ever met has had a stick up their ass and this one sounds like she has some fire.”

“Her name is Hamilton and she works small legislation.  I’m not sure why they haven’t put her on anything big.  She’s got a fight in her, I’ll give her that.”

“Wait a minute, is this the same woman who you are always scowling at?  Giving her a look like if you had lasers that could shoot from your eyes you would cut her down?”  Patrick leaned forward on the couch and eyed me carefully.

“I don’t look at her that way.” I mean I don’t think I do.  She annoys the hell out of me, but I didn’t think I was looking at her like I could kill her.  “She gets on my nerves and it’s strictly political.  She’s a Republican and I’m a Democrat.  I care about the country and she obviously doesn’t.  It’s really that simple.”

Patrick began to smile and pushed himself off the couch, heading for the door.  “You keep telling yourself that, Chris.  Maybe you’ll believe it one day.”

I had no idea what he meant by that.  But I was at least glad he got me to think about something other than what had been on my mind when I woke up this morning.

~ * ~

When the Intelligence Committee meets for general meetings that are not hearings for public viewing, we meet in a large conference room in the Capitol Building.  It is adjacent to our hearing room but much more comfortable.  We were forty-five minutes into a meeting and I had lost interest forty minutes ago.  We were getting into the weeds about a document that we’d been fighting about over the last month.  I was sick of it and the bickering was giving me a headache.  I stood from my seat and went to the large set of windows that looked out over the Mall and reflecting pool.  I stood with my hands behind my back and started to focus on the people on the street and drowned out the voices in the room.  As the Chairman, it was probably not a good idea for me to do this.  However, for my own sanity, I needed to.

As I stare out over the Mall, I think about the times I’ve left the Capitol and gone running around the monuments after work.  How it is so easy to blend into the background and disappear.  I’m almost never recognized, which I appreciate.  There have been exceptions and I’ve been harassed.  Someone doesn’t agree with a vote or what one of the Committees is doing and they take umbrage with it right there on the sidewalk.  Each time, I do the polite thing, I listen.  That’s really all they want, someone to listen.  I try not to sound patronizing or condescending when I respond to tell them we will take their concerns under advisement.  You have to admire their passion, even if you don’t agree with them.  But in this age of digital media, you just don’t engage in a debate or argue.  You never know when it could end up on YouTube.

During my mental trip around the city, the meeting adjourns and the room begins to empty.  I’m honestly oblivious to it until I feel a hand on my shoulder and I flinch instinctively.

“I’m sorry, Christopher, I didn’t mean to scare you.” It’s the melodic voice of Senator Adeline Andrews from Mississippi.  She’s a sweet woman who took me under her wing when I came to the Hill.  She is now almost seventy-five years old and every bit as feisty as she was when I first met her.  Adeline was, and still is, a good friend of my father's.    While she is a Republican, she is the person I trust most and I value her opinion over almost everyone else, outside of my family.  She is also the only person outside of my family that I will permit to call me Christopher.  “Why are you even at work today, my boy?  I figured you would want to be alone today.”

I turn to face her; Senator Andrews remembered.  Her large, espresso eyes convey her love and sympathy.  I pull her in for a hug, something most of my colleagues would find amusing, I’m sure.  “No, rest for the wicked, Adeline.  I did consider staying home, but I’d have moped around and it would have accomplished nothing.”

“That’s a very sage thing to say, I’ll give you that.  But I do realize the importance of today and that you might want to be alone to remember and celebrate in your own way.”

“You have a different opinion than Patrick.  He thinks I should move on and let it go.  He said Bitsy would want it that way.” My voice is flat when I say her name.  I have to do that to keep myself together.  Ten years ago today, I said her name as we became husband and wife.  It was, by far, the happiest day of my entire life.  We'd only been married four years when she died.  I lost her shortly after I'd won the election to take over my father’s Senate seat.  She hadn't lived long enough to see me take the oath of office.  

“He has a valid point.  I know that I had a hard time moving on after my Oscar died.  I can see it from your side, Christopher, but you cannot shut down your emotions for the remainder of your life.  What if Elizabeth was meant to help you find your true calling and to find love again?  It’s possible to love again after such a painful loss.  I love Nelson with all my heart, but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss Oscar.”

Adeline has a point and I can appreciate what she is trying to do for me.  I think I’m more open to her saying it because I know she has experience in this sort of thing.  Whereas when Patrick says it, well it just seems different.  I give Adeline another hug and thank her for being there for me and for remembering today.  It does mean so much that she remembered.  

~ * ~

As always, Adeline Andrews lifted my spirits.  Her pep talk gave me the strength to change my perspective and make it through the meetings that were scheduled for the afternoon.  I was dreading the last meeting of the day with Jennings.  He’s a nice guy but meetings with him always went over our requisite allotted time and he could drag things out more than necessary.  As luck would have it, something came up for him and he had to cancel.  Not sure what his excuse was and I honestly didn’t care.  This opening in my schedule now allowed me an opportunity to leave early and have some time to myself.

I packed up my briefcase and grabbed my suit jacket to head out.  As I pulled the office door closed behind me, I let my secretary, Amy, know that I was heading out and I wouldn’t be available for the remainder of the day.  She wished me a good evening and I exited into the hallway.  Patrick wasn’t in the office, I was hoping to make it to my car without running into him.  No such luck, he rounded the corner just as I was approaching.

“Where are you going?” He asked, somewhat surprised to see that I had my briefcase and jacket.  “Were you sneaking out?”

I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily, “I wasn’t sneaking, Patrick.  I let Amy know I was leaving.”

“But you weren’t telling me?  Geez, thanks, man.”

“You weren’t in the office.” I put my hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye. “Patrick, I’m heading out for the day.  I’ll see you tonight at the telecom event.” I laughed at the fact I was being such a smartass and began to walk off.

“I’ll be by to pick you up at seven,” Patrick proclaimed.  This made me stop dead in my tracks and turn around.  I held my arms out with the general ‘what the fuck’ look.  “You said you didn’t want to go, I don’t trust that you won’t ditch this thing.  So, I’ll be there to pick you up.  You better be ready and look spiffy!”

I said nothing but turned back around and walked off.  The thing that pissed me off more than anything was the fact that he was right.  He knew I would try to find some way to get out of going tonight.  If he didn’t pick me up, I’d feign being sick or some other brilliant excuse to try to stay home.  Even though it is totally against my character, he knows I would at least try.  

The thing was, Patrick probably knew where I was going right now, anyway.  When I needed time to myself, or sanctuary, I went to church.  I’m not an overly religious man.  In fact, just because I was raised Roman Catholic didn’t mean I practiced it.  However, sometimes the solitude of the church allowed me to think and find peace.  Today was a day I needed peace more than any other.  

I had been able to spend anniversaries with Bitsy in the past.  But this year, it didn’t work out.  She’s buried in Boston and I wasn’t able to get up there today or even the weekend before.  The hectic Congressional calendar this year had kept me in DC.  I felt horrible about that.  It meant I didn’t get to put the flowers on her grave; which is something I always do.  If I couldn’t be in the cemetery with her, I would at least go to church and find some peace there.  I’d light a candle and say a prayer.    

My favorite church in DC is the National Cathedral.  While it isn’t a Catholic Church, it is easily one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever been to.  It’s a twenty-minute drive, depending on traffic, from my office.  I ease into my car and exit the Capitol parking structure.  The traffic is a little heavier than normal and there ends up being a tour at the church making parking more difficult.  Luckily I can ease into one of the side alcoves and duck into a pew without being seen.

Of course, this church also reminds me of the one I was married in.  That’s another one of the reasons I wanted to come here today.  

I met Elizabeth O’Neil on the day Patrick and I graduated from boot camp.  She had accompanied her parents out to Twenty Nine Palms, CA for the ceremony.  I remember thinking she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life.  I didn’t realize I was staring at her until Patrick slapped me in the back of my head and told me if I touched her he would castrate me with his bare hands.  I don’t think I was actually concerned, Elizabeth wasn’t interested in me at all.  I tried making conversation with her and she blew me off repeatedly.  She saw me as a jarhead and a thrill-seeker.  I was an idiot friend of her brother and she wanted nothing to do with me.  I found out later that she was scared to like a man in uniform.  She was afraid she wouldn’t be strong enough to handle being a soldier’s girlfriend or wife.  I figured she just needed some convincing, that’s all.

I wrote her letters and she would occasionally write back.  She would send care packages to Patrick and candy or cookies into the box for me.  She claimed she was just being nice, but I think I was wearing her down.  I think what won her over was the day I saved Patrick’s life.  He was on patrol ahead of me and he triggered an IED.  Luckily, the thing misfired and while he was blown back from the blast, he didn’t lose a limb or his life.  We came under heavy fire though and I rushed in to grab him and pull him to safety.  No man left behind!  I wasn’t even thinking about getting shot myself, I was just saving my friend.  

Patrick’s career was over; he suffered injuries that would keep him from going back into battle.  He was lucky to be ‘whole,' regarding his limbs, but he was not ‘whole’ regarding his spirit.  He suffered from PTSD and Elizabeth helped take care of him.  She fell for me and I was glad she finally caught up.  We had dated for three months before I proposed; I knew she was the one.  She planned the entire wedding while I was deployed.  All I had to do was show up the day of.  There were a few close calls, but I made it home three days before the wedding.  Then, three days after, I left the Corps and began working as a civilian analyst with the CIA.

Three years into our marriage, my father decided he wanted to step down from his Senate seat.  He suggested I run and take his place.  I was just shy of the age requirement to be a Senator.  However, by the day of the election, I would be thirty years old and eligible.  Elizabeth and I discussed it and made the decision to go for it.  We were running for office and trying to start our family.  We weren’t having any luck in the pregnancy arena and chalked it up to the stress of campaigning.  Elizabeth wanted to go to the doctor just to make sure there wasn’t anything wrong.  Unfortunately, there was something wrong – she had cancer and our fairytale was not going to have a happy ending.

I’ve been without her longer than I was with her.  My entire family, including her family, thinks I should move on.  Patrick continually tells me that I’ve mourned enough and she would want me to live my life.  I’m just not sure I’m ready to date.  Or maybe I just haven’t met the right woman yet that makes me want to date.  As much as Patrick gives me his blessing, I can’t help but think I would be betraying him or dishonoring his sister.


	5. Senator Chris Evans

I got lost in my memories within the National Cathedral.  By the time I looked at my watch, I had been there for almost an hour.  I quietly exited the church and fought the traffic to get back to my Brownstown.  I got home about a half hour before Patrick was due to arrive to pick me up.

I take a quick shower and pull out one my tuxedos from the closet.  It is comical that I have a closet full of them.  They all look the same to me, although Bitsy said each one was different.  Sure, each one had a different label and cost more than the last, but to me they looked the same.  She swore they had different textures and different styles.  I don’t care, I just pick one for the evening.  

I decide that since it’s my anniversary, I’ll dress to make my wife happy, even if she’s not here to see me.  I start off by not putting product in my hair and letting it be more natural.  This was always an ongoing argument for us.  I hate to fuss with my appearance so I always slick my hair back so I don’t have to mess with it.  Bitsy hated my slicked back look and my military buzzcut.  So, of course, I wore my hair like that to irritate her as much as possible.

I’ve always decided to wear the cufflinks that Bitsy bought for our first anniversary.  They’re silver sport watch cufflinks that she found online and thought they were amazing.  I was confused when she gave them to me.  Why in the hell did she think I would want clocks?  Then she explained it was the modern gift for a one-year anniversary.  She had put so much thought into them.  I had to admit they were unique and stunning.  Now I loved them because of what they meant to her.  I wear them every year on our anniversary.  You can’t say I’m not sentimental.

When I’m dressed and I feel presentable, I head downstairs to the living room.  I’ve just poured myself a drink when the front door opens and Patrick announces himself.  The man never knocks anymore.  If there was a chance I’d have a female companion with me, I’d be offended that he just walks in.  But who am I kidding?  He’s well aware that that isn’t an issue right now.  

Patrick walks through the foyer and catches sight of me. “Wow, you’re actually ready.  And you look spiffy!”

I take a drink from my glass and turn to face him. “Thanks, you don’t look half bad yourself.”

Patrick nods and looks me over from head to toe.  “I see you’re wearing Elizabeth’s cufflinks tonight.” His comment surprises me because I wasn’t  expecting him to pay attention to that sort of detail.  It isn’t like they’re flashy or anything.  “You’re wearing your hair like she liked it as well.  Gee Chris, feeling a little sentimental tonight?”

I reach over and pick up my cell phone from the coffee table and slide into the breast pocket of my jacket.  I choose to ignore his comments. “You ready to go?”

As I walk toward him, Patrick takes a few steps forward and places his hand on my shoulder.  “Your tenth anniversary is a big deal and I know that.  I also know you miss her.  I’m just trying to keep things a little light so you aren’t dwelling on it all evening.”

I drop my head trying to hold back the emotions that are threatening.  Patrick is not an overly emotional guy.  So the fact that he is speaking out is meaningful.  He was close with Elizabeth and he has struggled with her death.  He rarely speaks about her, not just because he can’t handle it but because he doesn’t want to upset me, either.  We are both helpless in that regard.

“Thanks, Patrick, I appreciate it.”

And just like that, the moment is over.  His expression changes and he slaps my shoulder. “Let’s go and see what kind of trouble we can stir up at this party.”

~ * ~

Patrick had a car for us.  I should have known he wouldn’t be driving himself over to get me.  Not only that, imagine the scandal to have a U.S. Senator actually drive himself to a gala event.  I knew there would most likely be a red carpet of sorts leading into the hotel.  The DC social scene would want to make sure there was ample opportunity to get photographs of everyone for the newspaper and magazines.  

We didn’t speak on the drive to the hotel.  There wasn’t a lot to say.  I stared out the window trying to calm my breathing so I could make it through the night. As we pulled up to the hotel, the crowd was already gathering.  I had been to several events at this hotel before and I knew there was a side entrance where I could avoid the glitz and flash.  I instructed the driver to make his way around to the other side of the building and Patrick and I snuck in unnoticed.  

The ballroom was tastefully decorated, but I felt like I was at a wedding.  While the event was formal, I was struck by how relaxed the atmosphere seemed to be.  It was refreshing.  If there is one thing you need to know about DC it’s that everything is so regimented and stuffy when it comes to political events.  There are rules about what you can and cannot do and who you can and cannot invite.  Most Congressional members can be nice and cut loose, but every time you see us it is in an official capacity and so we look like we have sticks up our ass.  There is always someone nearby with a microphone or a camera just waiting to get us stepping out of line so they can use it against us at a later date.  But tonight, everyone is more relaxed.  

The reason we are here is for a telecommunications bill.  For most people, that seems less than glamorous; however, it is vital to the masses.  This legislation is brought about by the large companies who are angry that they are dealing with small companies competing against them and cutting into their market penetration.  They want the government to enact stringent rulings to cut back on the competition and make it harder for other players to step onto the field.  The problem is that it will mean some areas of the country won’t get service at all because the big companies won’t find it profitable to go into those markets while the smaller guys will.  So fair trade helps smaller communities.  This event is all about wining and dining guys like me to believe big is better and stomp out the little guy.  Now you see why I like to do my own research and I don’t necessarily buy everything that the lobbyist tries to sell.

Sorry, I digress.  You don’t want to hear my rant as to why the lobbyists drive me insane.  Patrick is pointing out the string quartet that is on the stage.  I heard them when we walked into the room.  Not necessarily my type of music, but it is a nice backdrop for conversations.  It doesn’t overpower the room.  I check my watch, the event started twenty minutes ago and this place is already packed.  I am scanning the room to see who is here as we make our way toward our table.

BAM!  Suddenly I am hit full force by a woman in a light pink dress.  As she hit me, I swear I heard her let out a groan and then she expelled a sharp breath as her eyes met mine.  Her eyes immediately cloud over and I can tell we are in for a fight.

I immediately recognize her, of course.  I hate to admit that she looks stunning.  Her dress compliments her figure and I can feel myself beginning to respond to her.  I need to stop that from happening.  Not tonight.  Not Ever.  Instead, I try to make sure I am giving her a stoic look and give her the verbal response she would expect me to have. “Do you think you could watch where you’re going?”

I’ll admit that my tone was probably harsher than I needed to be.  I just needed to set the tone for the remainder of the night.  If I were even remotely pleasant then she would think it was an open invitation to approach me later.  

I tensed as I realized she was staring at me.  I’m not sure why, but I felt like she was taking me all in.  Maybe she was afraid I was going to start screaming at her.  But before I could say something more, she fired back, “Actually, I think you need to watch where you’re going.  You walked into my personal space so you’re the one who would owe me an apology.”

Ok, I wasn’t expecting that.  I wasn’t going to engage in a verbal altercation with her. Instead, I was just going to ignore her and walk off.  I couldn’t believe she snapped back at me.  She’s never been so bold before.  Usually, when she tries to talk to me and I shut her down, she slinks off and says nothing.  Tonight there is a fire in her eyes.  I have to admit it is intriguing, but it doesn’t make me want to talk to her.  I mean my body is reacting to her, but that is just a physical thing.  

Of course, Patrick is sniveling behind me. “I think she’s got you there, Chris.”  If looks could kill, I’d be attending Patrick’s funeral within the next few days.  He quickly changes his tune. “Or maybe not.”

I look back at Greer but give nothing away.  Instead, I push past her and make a beeline for the bar on the far wall of the ballroom.  While I had skipped the bar when we walked in, I was suddenly dying for a drink.  I drink socially, although very rarely in public.  It isn’t a good idea for a Senator to drink in public and certainly not to the point of excess.  But right now I am so worked up over Greer Hamilton I am afraid I could break that rule.  

I am walking so fast that Patrick has to run to catch up to me.  “Chris, where are you going?”

“To the bar,” I spat out at him.

As I stop at the bar and wave my hand to get the bartender’s attention, Patrick places his hand on my shoulder.  “I thought you weren’t drinking tonight?”

“I need a drink, just one.” My breathing was a little ragged and I was going to chalk it up to my brisk walk to the bar.

“Oh my God!  You’re all worked up because of Hamilton aren’t you?” Patrick began to laugh.  I hated the fact that he called me out, but I was a little obvious about it.  “So there’s a little life in the old boy after all.  I’ll admit she did look stunning.  It’s really too bad you couldn’t get anything out other than a grunt or a snarky remark.”

He wasn’t going to let this go. “She’s an adversary of mine and the only worked up I’ll admit to being is angry.  There’s no attraction there.  None!”

“He doth protest too much,” Patrick said before scanning over the crowd.  

I ordered myself a scotch and a beer for Patric.  I held his beer in my hand and tapped his shoulder to get his attention.  He reached over and grabbed the beer and went back to his crowd gazing.

“Are you scoping out your next conquest?” I asked right before taking a sip of my drink.  Patrick had divorced two years after Bitsy died.  He was close to his sister and had taken her death hard.  He had spiraled into a deep depression and his self-medication, along with what he was already dealing with regarding his PTSD, drove a wedge between him and his wife.  Jennifer had a hard time dealing with his mood swings and the anger issues.  She tried, I’ll give her that, but it got to be too much and she decided to cut bait and run.

When she left, Patrick’s depression got worse.  He didn’t leave his house for days and there was fear he would take his life.  I broke into his house and found him sitting on his couch.  He hadn’t slept in days and definitely hadn’t bathed in days, either.  I got him cleaned up and found him a therapist.  Even moved him in with me for a bit.  If I’m honest, I think that helped me just as much as it helped him.  

 

“No, I’m seeing someone now.  I’m just trying to get an idea of how many men in this crowd you’re going to fight tonight for Hamilton’s attention.”

I ignored his comment about Hamilton.  “I didn’t know you were seeing someone.  When did that happen?”

He didn’t look at me. “A few weeks ago.  She works on the Hill, so we’ve kept it quiet and we’re going slow.” He took a pull from his beer and then looked at me.  “She works in Adeline’s office.”

My eyes went wide with surprise. “You finally asked Mary out?  Wow, that’s great Patrick, I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, we’ve only gone out a couple of times.  She’s divorced so both of us are being careful, you know?” He took another pull from his beer and then turned to sit it on the bar.  “So, are you going to avoid her all night?”

“She’s here so she’s the lobbyist on this bill, so yeah, I’ll stay away from her.”

“Are you referring to Ms. Hamilton?” a deep voice sounded over my shoulder.  I turned to see who the owner of the voice was and realized it was Senator Devon Ross.  A nice guy has a bit of a playboy reputation though.  “She is most definitely in charge of this one, Evans.  Has she not called and asked for your vote yet?”

I shook my head. “No, and I guess she knows better than to ask.  It’s fair to say we don’t see eye-to-eye on things.”

“Well, that’s too bad because word on the street is that she’s being given the Briarwood Technical contract.  If memory serves, that’s going to spend a whole lot of time in your Committee, Senator.” Ross took a sip of his drink and smiled.

I wanted to wipe that shit-eating grin off his face.  I tried to remain composed, “Where exactly did you hear that bit of gossip?  And when?”  This was obviously news to me.  Generally, I was kept in the loop on the legislation that was going to come across my Committee desk, but someone was keeping this quiet.    

“Well now, you aren’t the only one in town with sources.” Ross was smug and it didn’t set well with me.  He could be pompous and this was clearly one of those times.  He was an ultra-conservative Republican and a darling of the party.  He was about as far right from my beliefs as one person could be.  “I heard she didn’t want the job.  She was hoping she would get thrown back into litigation because that’s where her heart is.  But Miller has a thing for her and likes her right where she is.  The way she’s sashaying around this room, you’d never know she’s unhappy now would you?”  Ross tossed back the remainder of his drink and sat the glass on the bar before walking away.

I wanted to punch the man.  I know he was trying to push my buttons and it was working.  I was already on edge for the night and then for him to bring up the Briarwood contract on top of everything else.  Well, Ross wanted me to lose my cool.  Briarwood has been a thorn in my side for years.  They are one of the few contractors that I would like to see run out of town.  I would love nothing more for their contract to be voided and for them to never be able to get a government contract again.

I am seething as I swallow the last of my scotch and signal the bartender for another.  Patrick is eyeing me carefully and I know he wants to say something.  I don’t give him the chance to speak first. “What? Go ahead, say what’s on your mind.”

“You need to remain level-headed.  You wanted to go after Ross and that would have been an idiotic thing to do and you know it.  It’s one thing to make enemies on the Senate floor, but don’t do it in public.  You already have a reputation, don’t make it worse.  And while you aren’t a fan of Hamilton, she’s well liked, so back off.”

Patrick is right, she is well liked.  It isn’t that I’m not a fan of her per se, I’m just not a fan of her job or that’s she a Republican.  She stands for everything I’m against.  Ok, so I’m not a fan of her’s.  “She’s not seasoned enough to handle Briarwood.  She’s done nothing but fluff legislation and gotten it through by batting her pretty little eyes to get what she wants.  Defense contracts don’t work that way and she’s going to get a rude awakening.”

I have a point and I know it.  But Patrick ignores the bulk of my comment and latches onto one point. “So, you think she has pretty eyes?”

~ * ~

Patrick and I found our way to our table.  Our place cards indicated we would be sitting with socialites and Republicans, my favorites.  I tried not to roll my eyes as I read off the names.  Patrick was enjoying himself, he couldn’t contain his glee.  The thought that kept running through my mind was how much my father would be laughing his ass off if he was here with me.  He hated coming to these events almost as much as I do.  

My father had been a prosecutor back home in Boston and ran for District Attorney, winning by a wide margin.  He was popular and he highly successful when it came to winning his cases.  He used that success to catapult him to a State Senate position and gave thought to a run for Governor when he decided to run for the seat in DC instead.  No one expected him to win.  He didn’t have the panache or charisma that the Kennedys' had and while his district was different, he was constantly compared.  Especially since he was a Democrat just like Jack, Bobby, and Ted.

But Robert McKenzie Evans did win and ended up being every bit as popular.  He rallied for the disadvantaged and didn’t let anyone run over him.  He stood up for his causes and made informed decisions before casting a vote.  He didn’t care about making enemies, he cared about his constituents.  And boy was he popular with his constituents!  He was more popular with them than he was with his wife.   My mother, Lisa, hated that my father spent more time at work than with his family.

My mom ran a successful advertising agency and raised my brother, Scott, and me with no real help from my father.  We didn’t live in DC, we lived in Boston.  Mom had to run her business and so she was, in fact, a single parent most of the time.  Scott and I never made it easy on her, we were both rambunctious and had more energy than enough energy to spare.  Once in awhile, I think she wanted to send the two of us off to boarding school.

The stress on the marriage finally caused them to divorce when I was eighteen.  My father was in the middle of a reelection campaign.  They kept it quiet until the election was over.  My mother was angry the marriage was ending, but she didn’t want to ruin his career.  He had a passion for public service, but he had never cheated on her; unless you call his career his mistress.  She believed in his career and what he did for others, she just wished it didn’t come at the expense of her marriage and her family.  

My father continued with his Senate career.  His popularity took a slight hit with the divorce, but he rebounded.  I would intern with him during my breaks from college.  He also announced that I was entering the Marines when he was on the campaign trail.  He wanted to get the bump that he was pro-military and very patriotic.  I wanted to be mad that I was being used as a campaign slogan, but I knew it came with the territory.

Nine months before the Senate election, my father decided he wanted to retire from public service.  He sat down with me to discuss it and asked if I would consider running for his seat.  His staff had been doing some polling data and, since I had been on the campaign trail with him, I was well known and popular.  I was, in the words of the voters, eloquent and intelligent, affable and approachable, charming and handsome.  I was highly electable.

The main issue was that I did not meet the thirty-year-old age requirement for Senators.  However, the rule was I had to be thirty when I was elected, not when I was campaigning.  I would turn thirty in June and the election would be in November.  I would be on the campaign trail for several months as an underage candidate and I would need to be prepared for the backlash and heat from my opponent.  

I was not convinced that I should take this on.  My wife, however, was for it.  Bitsy thought I was perfect for the job.  She had been saying for months that she thought I was unhappy in my job with the CIA.  I tried to tell her that she was wrong, but I was never able to convince her.  In truth, I wasn’t really that happy.  I didn’t know what I was unhappy about, but I felt out of place and unfulfilled.  Maybe being a Senator was my calling and it would be the perfect job for me.  Bitsy was talking me into it and my mother was trying to talk me out of it.

In the middle of October, several weeks before the election, we found out that Bitsy had cancer.  I felt as if I had been hit by a bus.  The doctors told us that the cancer was aggressive and it had progressed to Stage IV.  There wasn’t much they could do for her.  They had some treatments they could try, but for the most part it would be comfort measures and we should be prepared for the inevitable.  Bitsy and I left the doctor’s office with a treatment plan in place.  We were going to try fighting it, but we weren’t going to tell anyone what was happening.  We weren’t even telling Patrick.  

We didn’t want any type of sympathy vote or attention paid to us for what we were going through.  Bitsy wanted her privacy and I didn’t want to answer questions about how I was going to survive without her.  Luckily for us, she had not spent a ton of time on the campaign trail so her absence was not noticeable and did not garner a lot of questions.  On election day, Bitsy was strong enough to go to the polling place and cast her vote with me.  She put on a brave face and I helped hold her up.  She immediately went home to rest.

That night I won the election and Bitsy was by my side at the podium as I gave my speech.  I knew she was struggling to get through the night.  But for everyone else in the crowd, they had no idea what she was going through.  I would be sworn into office on January 1st.  I spent every day with Bitsy between November and January, making the most of each day.

Three days before I took the oath of office, Elizabeth Evans lost her battle.  I planned her funeral and then flew to Washington to be sworn in as every other Senator.  I did the press briefings and Capitol Hill tours.  I had lunch with the President and greeted my staff just like I was supposed to.  Then I flew back home to Boston and buried my wife.  The news of her death didn’t leak out until several days later.  I purposely didn’t put her obituary into the paper until after her funeral because I didn’t want a spectacle.  

With everything I’ve encountered in DC within the last seven years, I’m not sure if my marriage would’ve survived.  Then again, I don’t know if the long hours I’ve put in at the office were to keep me away from my memories or because I was that dedicated to my job.  Would I be a different man if she were still alive?  I do know that I understand my father more.  I see his marriage to my mother in a completely different light.

My father remarried after his public life ended and I’ll admit I’m jealous of the free time he has for his new family.  But then again, he is more of a father to me now and this is when I need him.  He is also a good sounding board for me when I am trying to reconcile the games that politicians play.  He knows I hate the games, but he also knows I want more than what I can see in front of me.


	6. Senator Chris Evans

Dinner was an exercise in self-control.  I had to bite my tongue more than once to keep from sounding off against the stupidity that was rampant at the table.  I was proud of myself for staying quiet.  Although I am sure for entertainment value alone Patrick would have enjoyed me going off on someone.  

I noticed that the esteemed Ms. Hamilton was seated at the table next to us.  I couldn’t seem to escape the woman.  I did notice that she had the table eating out of her hand, though.  She commanded the table and had everyone engaged in conversation and they weren’t even discussing the legislation.  She didn’t even seem to be speaking about politics.  I think Patrick was right, I didn’t like her because she challenged me and because I was mildly entranced by her.  

When the dinner plates were cleared and everyone began mingling around the room, I joined the fray.  I declined several invitations to dance and moved as far away from my table as I could.  In fact, I even moved away from Patrick.  I knew he would head off to wheel and deal on his own.  

As my Chief of Staff, he was always trying to work an angle for me.  I think most of the media thought I hired him because he was my brother-in-law and I was just being a nice guy.  But it was more than that.  I could trust Patrick and, in DC, that goes farther than anything else.  Plus, if people took him for granted, they would let their guard down around him and they would speak freely.  That would always work to our advantage in terms of gathering intel.  It didn’t seem to be public knowledge, or people seemed to forget, that Patrick was once a member of the Marine Special Forces and had a unique skill set of his own.  

The other thing Patrick O’Neil had was charm.  The social scene in DC was perfect for him.  While he had stayed out of the dating pool since his divorce, it was nice to hear that he had dipped his toe back in recently.  I am sure Adeline helped with putting him and Mary together.  I would need to thank her for that.  

While Patrick worked the middle of the room, I moved toward the front of the room and noticed that Greer had moved toward the back.  This would be perfect.  I could keep my distance and work my own agenda.  The information Ross had given me earlier in the night regarding Briarwood Technical was on my mind.  I wanted to know who knew what and when it was coming to Committee.

~ * ~

Before I knew it, it was nearing eleven and I was making my way toward the exit.  I had wanted to speak with Senator Frank Stewart but had not been able to locate him during the evening.  So, imagine my surprise when I spotted him near the back of the room with Senator Grant Tennyson.  Both of these gentlemen were on the Armed Services Committee and would have information regarding Briarwood Technical that could benefit me greatly.  It just so happened that they were standing with Ms. Hamilton. I could interrupt her attempt to get their votes and get the information I needed all at once.

Yes, it would be an extremely rude move.  Yes, it would be highly inappropriate and unprofessional, but I really didn’t care.  What I’m leaving out is that she’s done this to me before.  I was in the middle of a negotiation, a few months ago, on a bill.  I was conducting a discussion with several key members of a Committee in a small alcove in the Capitol and Ms. Hamilton interrupted us.  She stuck her nose into the conversation and began arguing her point.  The argument got heated and the two of us went toe-to-toe.  The other parties walked away and it was just the two of us with voices raised, practically screaming at one another.

I fired off a letter of reprimand to her firm that indicated she was grossly unprofessional and inappropriate in her demeanor and tactics.  She inserted herself into a conversation that she had not been invited to join and escalated it into an argument.  I made it clear that I did not appreciate it and I would take every advantage to not work with her again.  

I had no idea if the letter made its way to her desk.  I had to assume so, as the next encounter I had with her, she walked away and called me a pompous fuck under her breath.  She was the only lobbyist in town that I had such a contentious relationship with.  The others did well to send emails or call and take my declines for meetings and move on.

I approached Senator Stewart and pretended as if Ms. Hamilton was not even present.  I simply extended my hand to him. “How are you, Frank?  I’ve been trying to find an opportunity to speak with you all evening.”  I then turned to look directly at Grant Tennyson, making sure Hamilton didn’t have a chance to sneak off with him.  “Hey Grant, good to see you.  I actually need to speak to you as well.  We have this new security bill coming up that will be going through the Intelligence Committee, I wanted to see what your thoughts were on it.”

I didn’t want to tell them that I wanted to talk about Briarwood, at least not in front of Hamilton.  I didn’t want her to know that I was aware of her working on that contract.  It was easier for me to bring up something innocuous to get her to leave us alone so that I could bring up what I wanted, and it worked.  I could see that she was not happy as she walked away.  Part of me felt bad for what I had done, but not bad enough for me to go and apologize.

I talked to Stewart and Tennyson for almost thirty minutes before bidding them goodnight and heading home.  Patrick had met me at the back and we walked out together.  We agreed that we would meet for breakfast tomorrow morning at my house to go over everything from the party and set up a strategy for the coming week.  While I didn’t want to go to the party in the first place, I had to admit I did feel as if it was worth it.

~ * ~

The next morning, Patrick came into the kitchen looking a little worse for wear.  It was almost ten, so much later than we normally see each other in the office on a regular work day.  It was crazy that we were both so worn out considering neither of us was drunk when we left the hotel last night.  We were home right around midnight, which is only an hour or so later than my normal bedtime during the week.  I don’t need that much sleep, but for some reason, I felt as if I was half-dead and Patrick looked half-dead.

“Coffee’s ready, if you want some,” I announced as I looked up from the newspaper spread out on the bar in front of me.

Patrick grunted and pulled a cup from the cabinet and poured some before shuffling over to stand across from me.  “I got a call last night after I got home,” he announced before taking a drink.  “Had to listen to a screaming Preston Miller.”

My eyes shot up, “What?  Preston Miller called you?  What the hell for?”

“Oh, seems he was was not amused with your little stunt of busting in on Greer and her meeting with Stewart and Tennyson.  Especially since you had the balls to send him a reprimand when she did that to you.” Patrick took another drink from his coffee cup.  “You never told me about that, Chris.  When did that happen?”

I ignored his question and focused on the fact that Miller called Patrick.  “Did Hamilton go crying to Miller about that incident?  Are you fucking kidding me?”  I stood up from the bar and kicked the barstool over.  I was furious.  To think that Hamilton went and cried to her boss about what happened and then he called and bitched to Patrick about it.  How childish.  If Miller had a problem with it why the fuck didn’t he just come to me directly?

“Hamilton didn’t say a thing to him, I asked that question myself.  It seems that Preston was at the party and he was watching her carefully all night long.  He witnessed the episode himself.  He also witnessed the episode earlier when you two ran into one another and had words.”

I turned back and looked at Patrick. “He was watching her? Is there some sort of daddy issue there?”  I know I visibly shuddered when I said those words.  I was beginning to think of Hamilton in a completely different way now.  

Patrick started laughing and took another drink of his coffee.  I couldn’t figure out what he thought was so funny.  I just kept watching him, waiting for him to let me in on the joke.  When he didn’t, I finally yelled at him, “Can you clue me in on what if so fucking funny?”

He sat his coffee cup down on the counter and then walked around to pick up the barstool I had knocked over.  “Are you not concerned as to why you are so upset about this situation?”  He moved from my side over to the kitchen table.  He took a seat, propping his feet up on one of the other chairs and folded his hands across his lap.

I turned around to face him, my hands on my hip.  The man had seriously lost his mind.  “I’m upset over this because it’s creepy that Miller was watching her.” I took a step closer to the table and pulled a chair out.  “I’m upset because Miller called you and read you the riot act over my conversation with Stewart and Tennyson and his concern that I hurt Hamilton’s feelings.”

Patrick watched me as I sat down.  I expelled a breath and then slapped my hand on the table. “And I’m upset because you’re taking too much delight in this.”

Patrick began to roar with laughter.  “Oh my God, that is the best part of this.  You are so worked up and I’m loving it.  But honestly, it was a dick move and you know it was.  Miller didn’t talk to Hamilton last night so I have no idea if she has her feelings hurt, but you have to admit you were out of line.”  Patrick waited to see if I would respond or give him anything to latch onto but I didn’t.  “Come on, Chris, you can’t tell me you weren’t trying to get under her skin just a little?”

“Fine, maybe I was just a little.  She’s naïve if she thinks that her job is always going to be easy and every piece of legislation she has will be a cakewalk.  She needs a thick skin to work on the Hill for God’s sake.”

“You owe her an apology.”

“Fuck that, I’m not apologizing to her.  If I owe anyone an apology it would be to you for having to listen to Miller last night.”

~ * ~

The remainder of the weekend, I tried to put the entire telecom event out of my head.  I tried to ignore the argument with Patrick and what I knew about the phone call from Preston Miller.  The problem was I couldn’t get the Miller issue out of my mind.  It kept bouncing around in my head as to why Miller had such an interest in Greer Hamilton and why he watched her like he did.

I considered researching Hamilton and Miller but figured that would be creepy.  That would make it seem like I cared just a little too much.  Maybe there was a family relation or Miller had an unhealthy obsession with Hamilton.  In all honesty, it wasn’t any of my business.  But if Hamilton was going to handle the Briarwood Technical contract and have to deal with me on a regular basis, it meant that Miller would be watching me, too.  

~ * ~

Every Monday, I had a standing lunch with Senator Andrews.  We would rotate as to who would buy and who would pick where we would eat.  This week it was Adeline’s turn to pick the restaurant and my turn to buy.    Today, she decided to go a little farther than normal and we went to Station 4.  Neither one of us had a full schedule in the afternoon and figured we could take an extended lunch.

We were seated in a back corner of the restaurant.  They were relatively busy but the noise wasn’t overbearing.  The restaurant was a casual dining restaurant so it was comfortable to sit and chat.  

“Tell me, how was the event on Friday evening?” Adeline asked with a hint of mischief. “Did you get into any trouble?”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head.  She already knew and was busting my chops.  “Crap, you’ve heard already, haven’t you?”

She smiled and took a sip from her water glass. “Well, you know Mary and Patrick are seeing one another, right?  So, yeah, I might have heard a story or two.”

I sat back in my chair, letting my shoulders sag.  “I ran into Hamilton, literally, right after I got there.  We might have exchanged words but it wasn’t bad.  She actually stood up to me.  But later in the night, I did interrupt her while she was presumably trying to get votes.”

“Oh Chris, why did you do that?”

“Well, in the words of Patrick, I was pulling a dick move.”  This time I was the one taking a drink from my water glass.  I was suddenly feeling sheepish.  I didn’t like to admit this sort of thing to Adeline.  I never wanted to look bad in front of her.  “She gets me all worked up, I just can’t explain it.”

Adeline watched me just waiting for me to continue.  I could tell she was judging me but didn’t want to speak until she was sure I wasn’t going to say something further.  Of course, I wasn’t sure what else she wanted me to say.  It was like an old-fashioned standoff.  

The silence finally got to me and I broke down. “No, this doesn’t mean I like her.  I know that’s what you think.  But she doesn’t get me worked up in that sense.  She’s a lobbyist, Adeline, you know they drive me nuts. I hate their belief that every piece of legislation needs to be passed when half of them are not good for the country.  The majority of those idiots are nothing but paid pit bulls who do everything they can to get something through.  They do it for money and not for the good of the people.  They have no scruples and it’s disgusting.”

A faints smile formed on Adeline’s lips.  She took a sip of her water and as she put her glass back on the table she finally spoke. “For someone who doesn’t know why she gets you all worked up, you certainly have one hell of an explanation.”  She sat back in her chair and just smiled at me, watching me carefully.  “My dear boy, I think you have a love-hate relationship with Ms. Hamilton.  You love to hate what she stands for.  But I think deep down you do admire that she has a little hutzpah and doesn’t back down so easily.”

“I hate the job she has, but she does seem to be unwilling to back down from a challenge.   Although she never did call me for my vote on this telecom bill.”

“Do you like her, personally I mean?  Does she interest you?”

I damn near choked and I wasn’t even drinking anything.  “What?  You mean do I have feelings for her?”  Adeline nodded.  “Hell no, I don’t have those types of feelings for anyone, I’m married.”  I thought about it for a minute and realized that didn’t come out the right way.  “I still have feelings for Bitsy.  I still think about her all the time and I can’t think of another woman.  You know that, Adeline.  It wouldn’t be right.  No, I don’t have any sort of romantic or sexual thoughts about Ms. Hamilton or any other woman.”  

I grabbed my water and took a drink.  I could feel my face beginning to flush and I hoped the cool water would bring my temperature down.  I didn’t want to have this conversation with Adeline and definitely not in public.  I just hoped I sounded convincing.  It was true, everything I said.  I didn’t have any romantic feelings for Greer Hamilton.  I wasn’t looking to have a relationship of any sort with her.  The woman drove me mad.  I hated her stand on every political issue and I didn’t want to work with her.  But I was also angry that her boss was meddling in her career and watching her every move.  That creeped me out, but I wasn’t about to tell her.  She might get the wrong idea if I told her.  She’d think I cared and then I’d have to explain that I don’t and it would spiral out of control.

“The more you protest, the more I think there’s something there,” Adeline said quietly.  

“Can we change the subject, please?”

~ * ~

It was late in the afternoon as I walked down the hall toward my Senate office.  Adeline and I had turned our conversation from my ‘relationship,’ or lack thereof, with Ms. Hamilton to Congressional topics.  We had several covered several upcoming bills that were coming up for votes that we were going to need to join forces on.  We also had discussions over the upcoming Presidential election.

We currently had a Democrat in office. One who had been there for two terms and could not run for another.  There was a lot of buzz as to who would be running in the general election to get the nomination.  Adeline, a staunch Republican, was interested in my take on the frontrunners.  Honestly, I wasn’t very fond of any of them.  

Brian Tanner was a billionaire businessman from Northern California who ran a technology firm and was running.  He had absolutely no political experience, but he had business acumen out the ears.  Every business initiative he started turned to gold and he never sugar coated what he said in interviews.  He was wildly popular and people gravitated toward him because of it.  I wasn’t a fan.

There were several Governors and Senators that had thrown their hats in the ring, but Tanner was getting the most press.  When you have the money to virtually buy the media exposure, almost everyone else doesn’t matter.  I told Adeline that the DNC would need to find a strong candidate to rival Tanner if they had any hope of keeping him from being the nominee.

When I walked into my office, I found Patrick sitting on the couch.  This was odd, he normally sat at his desk and then followed me into my office.  “What are you doing in here?” I asked, my tone was a little gruffer than I had intended.

“I’ve been waiting for you to get back.  I was beginning to wonder if you and Adeline had run off.” Patrick sat his laptop on the cushion next to him and then leaned forward.  “I received an interesting call today and I think you need to sit down.”

Instead, I turned to face him and leaned up against the front of my desk.  Resting against the desk and crossing my feet at the ankles and then crossing my arms across my chest.  “Okay, let’s hear it.”

“The DNC would like for you to consider running for President.”


	7. Greer Hamilton

Saturday morning, I got up and went into the office to do the post mortem on the event.  While I was running point on the project, several of the other lobbying groups in the city were assisting on this.  There were three other lobbyists at the event and they each had Senators that they were responsible for talking to and ensuring that their votes were secured.  All of their notes were to be logged into the shared system that we were using.  I wanted to log in and make my notes and review theirs to see if we were going to get this bill passed or if I needed to scramble at the beginning of the week.

I was still angry that Senator Evans had interrupted my conversation with Stewart and Tennyson.  I was fairly certain I had Tennyson ready to say he would vote yes.  But with the interruption, I had not received the final confirmation and did not feel comfortable putting that vote down.  I had to make sure I had what I needed without it.

I had been in the office for an hour or so when I heard a faint knock on the door.  I looked up and realized it was Preston Miller.  I scrambled to stand up.  I suddenly became conscious of the fact that I had not dressed for seeing the Managing Partner of the firm today.  I was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans with little makeup on and my hair in a messy ponytail.

“Um, hello..Mr. Miller,” I stumbled over my words and I moved around my desk.  I tried to smooth out my t-shirt and tame my hair.  “I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting to see anyone today.”  I knew I was fumbling and I had to hope I wasn’t embarrassing myself too much.

Preston Miller stepped into my office and waved his hand.  “Sit down Greer, you’re fine.  Please, I didn’t mean to startle you.  I had a feeling you would be in the office and I wanted to talk to you about last night.”

My blood ran cold.  What exactly did he want to talk about regarding last night?  I started to worry and my mind began to catalog everything that happened.  Did he know about my run-in with Senator Evans?  The one where I stood up to him early in the evening?  Did he know about my conversation with Stewart and Tennyson and how Evans interrupted and I just backed down?  Was he mad about that?  I couldn’t keep my mind from playing through every scenario possible and being concerned as to how much trouble I could be in.

“Greer, your brow is furrowed and you’ve gone ghostly white.  Can you please take a breath?  You’re not in trouble,” Preston said with a laugh.  I realized then that I was holding my breath.  As I let out the breath and tried to relax my shoulders, Preston sat forward in his seat.  It was probably the most relaxed I had ever seen the man.  But then again, I had never really been around the man.

“Greer, I need to be honest with you.  I was in attendance last night.  I wanted to see you in action if you will.  Here, I have this up and coming star on my staff and I’ve been negligent in seeing her do her job in person.  I was afraid if I told you I would be there, that you might be nervous, so I kept it to myself and made sure my seat was far away from where you were seated.”

My eyes went wide, this was very surprising news to me, indeed.  My boss was at the party to evaluate me and I had no idea.  So he had witnessed my interactions with Senator Evans.  This couldn’t be good.  I had to brace myself for what would be coming next.

“I think you handled yourself very well throughout the evening, Greer.  I had to laugh when it appeared you stood up to Evans after the two of you literally ran into one another.  Not sure what was said between the two of you, but he was taken off guard and seemed to be flustered when he walked off.” Preston just kept watching me to see if I would say anything.  I didn’t, I just wanted him to keep talking.  I didn’t watch Evans after he walked off so I had no idea how he reacted after he moved on.  

“His eyes followed you for a while.  I think he was taken with you, but I can’t be sure.  I wasn’t in his proximity to be able to hear his conversation or even close enough to read his lips.  I just know that his eyes followed you.  But I couldn’t help but notice him making a beeline for you at the end of the night to break up your conversation with Senators Tennyson and Stewart.”

This is where I decided to go ahead and speak up.  “Yes, sir, he just interrupted the conversation I was having and pretended I wasn’t even there.  He began speaking to Frank and said he wanted to talk to him about some legislation.  He said he wanted to talk to Grant, sorry, Senator Tennyson as well and just dismissed me out of hand.”

“Did you say anything or attempt to stop his interruption?”

“No, I didn’t.   I didn’t think it would be appropriate.  A man of his stature, along with two other Senators, I felt it would be disrespectful.  I think both Senators knew that Evans was out of line, they knew why I was backing off as well.  I don’t think they thought poorly of me for doing so.” I cleared my throat. “Am I being reprimanded for backing away?”

Preston Miller’s eyes went wide. “Absolutely not!  No, I’m not here to reprimand you at all.  I’m sorry if you think that’s what this is about.”  He suddenly let out a little laugh. “Actually, I thought you might like to know that I called Senator Evans’ Chief of Staff last night and read him the riot act over his actions.”

“What?  Please say you didn’t?”

“I certainly did.  Your honor needed to be defended.  I know you’ve had difficulties in dealing with Senator Evans and you expressed concern in dealing with him over the Briarwood Technical deal.  I can’t have him being disrespectful of any lobbyist on the Hill, not just my Associates.  He can’t wield his powers like that and get away with it.  Especially if the DNC is considering asking him to run for President.”

Ok, that was news to me.  The DNC was going to ask him to run for President?  Where did Preston hear this bit of information?  Who am I kidding?  Preston Miller has his ear to the ground and knows more information on all of the politician in DC than anyone.  He probably has dirt on everyone out there and could make or break anyone’s career.

“You’re still going to have to work with him, Greer.  If you have any issues with him at all I need you to tell me right away.” Preston pushed himself up and out of the chair and began walking toward the door.  “You handled yourself well last night and I have no doubt your bill will pass.  Don’t worry about Evans, he’ll come around.”

Preston walked out of my office and I was left wondering what in the hell had just happened. Why had he felt the need to tell me that he had been there last night?  And why had he felt the need to tell me that Evans was being considered for a Presidential run?  I was confused more than ever.

~ * ~

I stood in my office and gathered a few files into my bag.  Joanie and I had reviewed the telecom bill one final time.  It was going to head to the Senate for a vote this afternoon and I was going to watch the proceedings in person.  The vote was taking place at four, but the floor was opened for discussion before the vote at two.  Which meant I had a few hours to get across town.

The plan was to grab a few files and grab some take out and then eat on the steps of the Capitol Building.  The weather was supposed to be nice and it would give me an opportunity to people watch before heading in.  The city truly is spectacular, even though the tone of the city had changed after 9/11.  Now you had metal detectors and concrete barriers everywhere.  You were always on edge when you saw someone wearing a backpack or carrying a large bag.  And the sight of a box truck always made your stomach drop.

I’m from New York originally so I moved from one city that is held in the grip of terror to another.  But what is amazing about DC is the history and the awe that you see in the faces of the visitors.  To know that it’s the nation’s capital and that history, for good or bad, is made right here is inspiring.  It is without words to know that you are walking down a hallway that former Presidents have walked down.  You’re following in the footsteps of giants in history.

Okay, so I wax poetic.  I can’t help it.  I brown bag it and get to the steps of the Capitol Building.  I decide to sit near the bottom and eat my lunch.  There are a ton of steps to walk up and I figured it would be a good idea to walk off my lunch.  I’ve been inside the Capitol plenty of times, but I generally get there through the underground passages from the Senate Office Building.  It is rare for me to actually walk up the stairway to the building.  Actually, most people take the ramps or the side entrances because of the number of steps.  You have to be in shape to get to the top and still have air in your lungs.  I figured I would just take my time.

Once I got to the top, I had to walk through the metal detectors.  Every entrance now had police and metal detectors to make sure you weren’t carrying any guns, knives, or bombs into the building.  While I had words that were sharp and could cut, I didn’t have any blades on me.  I was actually more fearful of what the Senators could do to me instead of what I could do to them.  I was nervous, this bill was a big deal.  This was by far the largest piece of legislation I had worked on to date and I needed it to pass.  I felt confident that it would but you could never be too sure.  

Joanie and I had reviewed the numbers and as of this morning, I was five votes over.  But things could change in a heartbeat.  I made my way to the third floor where I would be able to watch the debate and the vote.  The gallery was starting to fill in and I saw several representatives from the telecom industry seated in the first rows.  They didn’t see me, so I elected to sit a few rows behind them and to their left.  I still wanted to see the floor, but stay out of the line of sight in case things didn’t go well.  

Little did I know that where I sat meant I would have a prime seat to see Senator Evans.  Dang it!  I had just sat down when he walked into the theater and took his seat.  He had removed a file from his briefcase and slid a pair of glasses onto his nose.  He was dressed in a charcoal suit and a stark white shirt with a blue tie.  Dare I say that with his glasses on, he was striking and I had a hard time looking away.  I had to keep reminding myself that he was the enemy.  I never called him or asked him for his vote.  I knew it would be useless to do so, he would never entertain me in conversation and would tell me that he would make up his own mind.  It was the line he gave every lobbyist.  Hell, he’d used that line on me numerous times in the past.  I didn’t see that it was worth the effort to even attempt to reach out to him.

I had actually bet Joanie that he would vote against this bill.  I told her that there was no way he would vote for it.  The funny thing was, I told Joanie that if I were a Senator, I wouldn’t vote for this bill either.  See, I do this job for money, but that doesn’t mean I believe in everything I am selling.  This bill was not in the best interest for rural communities and small businesses in those communities.  It was also not good for the consumer marketplace and was leading us right back into the path of monopolies.  But my job as a lobbyist is to fight for my client and sell it to the voting members of the Senate and House.  I get paid handsomely to do it, too.  

Sure, it’s a horrible thing to do and it makes me a bad person.  I’m selling my soul to the highest bidder.  But come on, the Senators are doing it, too.  They’re being paid to vote for these things.  ‘You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ sort of thing.  If you don’t believe that happens you are super naïve.  It is how government works and you prostrate yourself to the highest bidder in the hopes that you’re getting things done that will, in the end, be in the best interest of the American people.

The gavel sounds on the podium as the Senate is called to order.  The telecom bill is announced and the grandstanding begins.  Several of the Senators who had been vocal in their opposition speak out as to why they believe this bill should not pass.  I am surprised that Senator Evans does not stand up.  Instead, he just listens and takes notes.

Several Senators who have been firmly in our corner stand up to outline why they believe this bill should pass.  Once again, Senator Evans just takes notes while he listens to the speeches.  I have to admit that everything happening in front of me is like theater.  A well-choreographed dance between the aisles.  It is frustrating and entertaining at the same time.

Once each side has been able to make their case, the undecided voters have an opportunity to ask questions.  There are two Senators who stand up to ask questions.  Actually, they weave their questions in such a way that it makes it hard to decipher which way they want the answer to fall.  Once they have an answer to their satisfaction, the roll call is started.

I know that I will hear Senator Evans’s answer early on since the roll call is conducted in alphabetical order.  I realize I’m wringing my hands while I’m waiting.  

“Senator Evans of Massachusetts, what say you?”

“No.”

I knew it!  I’m not surprised, really I’m not.  But it still burns my ass that he voted against me.  I realize I shouldn’t take it personally, especially since I said I wouldn’t have voted for this if I was on the floor.  But it’s my job to persuade these people to vote.  And no matter what I do, I can’t get through to him.  

I’m so caught up with thoughts of Evans that I don’t even realize the votes are in and the legislation has passed.  I was able to secure the votes I needed and the telecom companies are happy.  I stand from my seat in the gallery, politely nod to the telecom officials and quietly exit the room.  I walk down the stairway and exit onto the second floor, right by the large doors of the Senate chamber.  I stop to let the Senators walk by, not engaging with any of them.  

As what I think is the last Senator has walked past, I begin to walk toward the staircase to take me to the first floor.  I freeze when I hear his voice, “Congratulations, Ms. Hamilton.”

I turn slowly to see Senator Evans standing just outside of the chamber doors.  He isn’t smiling at me, but he isn’t scowling, either.  I pull my shoulders back and take a step towards him so I am not yelling across the hall.  “Thank you, Senator.  I appreciate that even though I know of your opposition to the legislation.”

“Yes, well I have my reasons for opposition.”

“I’m sure you did and based on the votes, you weren’t alone.”  Our conversation, if you could call it that was definitely strained.  We were two people who didn’t like one another but were making an attempt at small talk.  It was awkward, to say the least.

“That is true.” He actually broke into a smile.  I had to admit, he was quite handsome when he smiled.  Actually, Senator Evans was an attractive man and I tried to push that out of my mind every time I came face to face with him because of our adversarial relationship.  I couldn’t let his good looks get in the way of my mission.  “I owe you an apology. I did not act like a proper gentleman the other night and I’m sorry.  It was a tough day for me and I ended up taking it out on you and you didn’t deserve it.”

I was stunned that he was apologizing but I couldn’t hold my tongue., “Are you apologizing because you mean it or because Preston Miller told you to?”  I think I took him off guard because his eyebrows shot up and he just stared at me.  I hung my head.  “Sorry, here you were trying to apologize and I go and say something like that.  I meant to say, apology accepted.”

Senator Evans nodded and started to walk off. He had taken four or five steps before he turned back to face me. “For the record, Greer, the apology was my idea.  Preston yelled at my Chief of Staff, not me, and he never demanded an apology.”  He then turned back around and walked back toward his office.  

There was something about the way that he said my name and offered his explanation that made me believe that he was sincere.  


	8. Senator Chris Evans

I left the office with Patrick’s words swimming in my head: “The DNC would like for you to consider running for President.”  It had come completely out of left field.  I’d never expressed any interest in running for President.  It was hard enough for me to be on camera as often as I was due to my role on the Intelligence Committee.  What in the world was making them even consider me?

I walked into the house, tossing my keys on the kitchen counter as I passed.  I don’t even remember my drive home.  How bad is it that these thoughts are swirling through my head and I can’t remember driving home?  It is after seven and I know I should be hungry, but the thought of food turns my stomach.  I’m in knots over what Patrick told me and not sure how I should be reacting.  I walk to the living room and pour a glass of scotch before I sit down on the couch.  I know what I need to do, although that prospect scares me just as much.

I dial the number and he picks up on the second ring. “Hello son, I’m surprised to hear from you!” My father’s voice booms through the phone and I need to pull it away from my ear so he doesn’t shatter my eardrum.

“Hey, I’m not interrupting anything am I?” He’s right, I don’t usually call and I have no idea what his schedule is.  For all I know, the man could have been asleep by now.  What surprises me, though, is how happy he seems to be to hear my voice.

“No, you’re not interrupting at all.  I’m just sitting here reading a book and enjoying the evening. How are things down in DC? I saw the telecom vote today and I’m proud you voted no on that one.  Can’t believe most of those idiots voted for it.  Let me guess, they had a pretty little lobbyist turning their heads on that one?”

I had to stifle a laugh at his comment.  My father did know DC that’s for sure.  “Yeah, well she’s smart but yeah, she’s attractive.” I cleared my throat so I could move past the conversation about Hamilton and on to the reason for my call.  “Hey, the reason I’m calling has to do with something Patrick brought to me today.  The DNC wants me to consider running for President.”

There was silence on the other end of the line.  I started to worry that my father hung up on me.  I gave him a minute before I spoke again, “Dad, did you hear me?  The DNC wants me to throw my hat in the ring for President.”

Suddenly I heard my dad clear his throat, “I heard you, Christopher.  I was just letting it sink in and I was trying to compose my thoughts on this.  You know that’s a huge step and you’re just barely over the required age.  Hell, I think you’d be the youngest candidate to run.”

“I haven’t said I’m running,” I said a little too emphatically.  I then quickly changed my tone. “If I’m completely honest, I’m freaking out over this.  I think my eyes glazed over and I almost passed out when Patrick said it.  I don’t even know if I responded to him.”

“Chris, you willingly went into the Senate, but I’ve never heard you talk about aspirations for higher office.  You aren’t a fan of the press conferences and the dog-and-pony aspect of your job now, so do you want that on a much grander scale?”

I thought about it for a minute. “I don’t want the dog-and-pony part, but the ability to make a difference in this country and around the world appeals to me.  I’ve always wondered if I was able to do more if I was capable of more.  I think I found my calling, but I just never thought being President was a possibility.”

I could tell that my father was smiling.  When I joined the Marines after college, it was a lark.  I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew that sitting in an office doing a repetitive job wasn’t it.  Then, when I went to the CIA, it was because I had an aptitude for certain things when I was in the Marines and the US wanted to capitalize on those things.  Then I went to the Senate because it seemed like a good idea and Bitsy was encouraging.  But now, well now, I felt like I belonged there and I was doing good work.  I felt like I could do more and I was where I needed to be.

“Chris, you can do whatever you set your mind to, you know that.  I’ll be proud of you and support you in whatever you decide to do.  Just know that if you run, your entire life will be under a microscope and you need to be prepared for that.  You might want to have this conversation with your mother and your brother.  Because they will be impacted as well.”

I let his words sink in. “What about you?  Are you worried about being put back into the spotlight?”

“Not at all,” my father’s voice got quiet, “But, Chris, remember that the media will talk about Elizabeth.  You’re going to have to relive your marriage and her death all over again.”

He was right, I wasn’t sure if I would be prepared for that.  I hadn’t agreed to anything just yet but I needed to keep her at the forefront of any decision.

~ * ~

I slide into the backseat of the towncar that Patrick had ordered for the evening.  Neither one of us felt like driving.  Honestly, I figured after the conversation we were going to have, I’d want to have a drink and I certainly didn’t want to get pulled over for drinking and driving.  That will kill my Presidential run before I'd even declared.  If I’m going to declare, that is.  

Patrick is sitting beside me, yet we don’t speak.  Both of us are staring out our respective windows and watching the reflection of the streetlights dance as we pass by.  We’re on our way to dinner at the 1789 Restaurant in Georgetown.  This restaurant is one of the most noteworthy dining experiences in the city.  It is in a residential area of Georgetown and is housed in a two-story Federal home that dates back to the mid-1800s.  It has a unique ambiance with antiques and maps of Washington DC as well as museum quality art pieces.  Presidents and visiting Heads of State have dined here over the years.  Most likely this is the reason the DNC decided this should be the location for this meeting.

We are on our way to meet with the head of the Democratic National Committee, Lance Bishop.   He is the one who reached out to Patrick to open dialogue regarding a Presidential bid.  Lance was a former State Senator from Nebraska and he was the legal counsel for the Nebraska Democratic Committee for years before he became their Chairman.  Several years later, he began working for the DNC and eventually put his hat into the ring to run for the National Chairman position.  I’d met him several times, of course, and he was a likable man and easy to converse with.

From the information Lance had passed on to Patrick, he is going to be bringing Tucker Nash to dinner.  I only know of Tucker, having never met the man. From what I understand, he’s from Mississippi and a key Democratic strategist that has run several successful campaigns for state and national races.  He knows what it takes to win and how to make it happen.  It is clear that, if they want to talk to me about running, they’re bringing out the big guns early to try and convince me.

We’re probably five minutes out from the restaurant when Patrick speaks up.  He never breaks his gaze from the window. “Do you think there’ll be anyone else besides Bishop and Nash there tonight?”  Patrick hates long silences, so I’m surprised he kept quiet as long as he did.  He finally breaks his stare and turns to look at me. “You know they said they wanted this meeting to be kept quiet.  So why in the world are they having us meet them in a trendy DC area restaurant?  Don’t you find that odd?”

I break my own view out the car window to make eye contact with Patrick. “No, it’s not odd, it’s smart.  If we met in some clandestine way and it ever leaked that we met it would be harder to explain and move past.  But if we meet in a public restaurant where we are seen, the story can be woven to say they were looking for me to endorse one of the current candidates.  It's perception, nothing more, nothing less.  We won’t be talking in the middle of the restaurant.  No, we’ll be off in a secluded room where everyone can see us parade by and enter a room but can’t hear a damn thing we say to one another.”

Patrick doesn’t respond.  Instead, he just stares ahead and barely even blinks.  He knows I’m right, but he’s put off at how nonchalant I sounded when I talked about it.  I’m not freaking out and that is what he’s expected from me all along.  I’m not the type of guy who freaks out in public, but Lord help me when I’m in private and upset.  Sometimes, I can refrain from throwing things, but my language definitely gets colorful and I have no trouble raising my voice to be heard.

“Patrick, don’t worry about it because you’ll stress yourself out and give yourself an ulcer.  Just be prepared for the media onslaught over the next few days.  Until I speak up, or they do, people will be naturally curious, and yes, that means the media.  We need to just warn the office staff ahead of time.”

As the car pulls in front of the restaurant, I take a deep breath before opening the back door and stepping out.  I know the proper protocol is to wait for the driver to open the door, but I told him not to bother.  I’m not pretentious enough that I need to do that, at least not yet.  Before closing the door, I let the driver know we’ll give him a call when we’re ready for him to swing back and get us.  There’s no reason for him to just sit around and wait unless he wants to.

I button the jacket of my blue Ralph Lauren suit before opening the front door the restaurant.  I have to think of it as preparing to walk on stage and I need to be ready for the crowd.  The maitre d’ welcomes us as we walk in and begins to direct Patrick and me to the Garden Room where our party is waiting.  Of course, I see several people that I know and I stop to shake hands and greet them.  The downside of being a politician is that you can’t ignore anyone.  You may need them at a later date and every interaction, no matter how small, plays an impact on whether they will do you favors or give you a vote.

The Garden Room is situated just off the main dining room and is separated by French glass doors.  This allows you to visually be on display at the restaurant while keeping your conversations private.  I notice as we approach that they have cleared the room except one large round table for this evening’s festivities.  The DNC definitely wanted the appearance of intimate.  I saw Lance Bishop and Tucker Nash but realized they were being joined by two additional individuals that I didn’t quite recognize.  I could feel Patrick tense behind me.

The maitre d’ steps to the side and I open the doors to enter our dining room.  The first person that moves to greet me is Tucker Nash. “Hello, Senator Evans,” he speaks like a fine southern gentleman, someone of exceptional breeding as they might say.  “I am so thrilled that you were able to accept our dinner invitation.  I do apologize for the short notice.”  As Patrick enters behind me and the doors close, he moves to greet him.  “Mr. O’Neil, it is a pleasure to see you as well.  I do trust that you gentlemen already know Mr. Lance Bishop.” We both nod in confirmation and then move to shake Lance’s hand.

Once those introductions are complete, Tucker moves to introduce us to the other individuals in the room.  He stands next to a beautiful young woman, she is a light skinned African American woman with striking green eyes.  “Gentlemen, this is Ms. Claudia Hightower, she’s a media consultant from New York.  We’ve asked her to join us this evening for her perspective on several issues.”

I’ll admit, the idea that they had a media consultant on standby is a little concerning.  It means that their decision to speak to me about a potential Presidential run was more than just a general inquiry.  They had obviously done some intense research and it bore fruit, which is why they called this meeting in the first place.  

Tucker then pointed to a shorter and slightly balding man, introducing him as Richard Ramsey, a Political Science Professor at Quinnipiac University, one of the leading universities that handle Presidential polling data.  If they had a professor from the university that handles polling data, that means they have someone who can analyze the data and most likely can predict how things will play out.  Those folks don’t fool around.

Once the introductions were made and hands were shaken, Lance stepped forward. “Chris, it’s wonderful that you were able to join us tonight.  Why don’t we take a seat and dive into the specifics of why we asked you here and what we’re hoping to achieve this evening.” he lets his words trail off as he gestured to the table.

Everyone took their seats and Lance poured each of us a glass of water.  “As you know, Senator, we’ve already had several Democrats throw their hats into the ring for the Presidential nomination.  Several of the candidates are, shall we say, polarizing and the DNC rank and file have concerns.”

Patrick spoke up, “What type of concerns, exactly?”

Tucker decided to field the answer, “Concerns that there will not be a clear and decisive candidate that everyone can get behind.  Therefore, infighting will ensue and virtually hand the election to the Republicans.”

I know where is was going, and so does Patrick.  But instead of jumping right into it, we let Lance and Tucker do their dance and get to their strategy on their own.  It didn’t take long for Lance to put the train back on the tracks.

“As you can imagine, we need to need to find a candidate that can unite the party.  One that can become a clear frontrunner and turn the election on its ear.  Bring enthusiasm back into politics.  We’re looking for the next Kennedy.”

I almost choked on my water.  I raise my napkin to wipe my mouth and then glance over at Patrick.  He was as stunned as I was the statement had been made.  “You went looking for the next Kennedy and you thought of me?  How in the hell did you make that leap?  And please don’t say it’s because we’re both from Boston.”

There was stilted laughter around the table.  Tucker Nash leaned forward with a stern look in his eye. “Senator, it is definitely more than that.  You’re an eloquent speaker and you command attention when you’re at the podium.  You have bipartisan influence, which you have to admit is rare.  You’re a veteran and have a working knowledge of top secret security protocols.  You have a defined skill set that will work well within the office of the President and I think you know that.”

I had to admit they had me intrigued.  They were discounting the issue that I am not necessarily comfortable in the large speaking venues.  Sure, I’m good at it, and I can command a room, but that doesn’t mean I enjoy it.  I have initiatives I want to further but who’s to say I can do that any better from the Oval Office than I can from the Senate floor?  I have to get along with Congress to push my agenda but that still doesn’t mean I get what I want.

“You honestly think I’m the guy to unite the party?” I ask and I mean it because I’m not thoroughly convinced.

Before anyone can chime in to give a response, the waiter enters the room and offers to take our drink order.  We agree to table any further discussions until he brings the drinks back since we don’t want the waiter to overhear what we are talking about.  We place our dinner order and I down my glass of Jameson.

Patrick decides he wants to bring up a point and I’m glad that he does.  I don’t want to be the only one who does all the questioning tonight.  “What concerns me is the fact that you’re approaching the Senator about running.  Isn’t this something that the DNC tries to avoid so it doesn’t look improper?” He glances around the table and watches as everyone nervously takes a drink.  “Look, I realize we’re all in the same party, but is it right for you to solicit a candidate when the party has members already running?”

Lance pushed his chair back and resituated himself so he could get comfortable and cross his legs.  He was going for a look of confidence but to me it looked like he was squirming because Patrick was starting to call him out.  “You have a valid point, Mr. O’Neill.  It would not be deemed as fair and appropriate if the DNC were actively looking to place a candidate into the role of the nominee.  However, we aren’t seeking to do that.  We are only seeking to find a candidate who has not yet declared themselves as a candidate, who we believe might be a viable candidate, and ask them to consider running.”

“Aren’t we only discussing semantics here?”  Patrick asked as he downed the rest of his whiskey.

Tucker’s lips curled into a slight grin.  If I didn’t know any better, I would think he was loving the fact that we were totally aware of the game and we were calling them out on it from the beginning.  “You know, Mr. O’Neil, you do have an interesting point.  But tell me, you know the Senator quite well, don’t you?”  Patrick nodded his head in response.

“And you’re his Chief of Staff, but you believe in his politics and his agenda.  Do you not?”  Once again, Patrick nodded in agreement.  “So, do you not think that he would be an exceptional candidate to run for the office of President of the United States?”

“My opinion is irrelevant, Mr. Nash.  If the Senator decided to run then I would support him in his endeavors.  However, I don’t want to toss him out there without the proper backing, vetting, and poll numbers to indicate he has a reasonable chance to win the nomination.  He isn’t going to be in it to just run, he’s going to be in it to win it.”

Now I had to smile.  Patrick was feeding off of what they were selling and they had reeled him in hook, line, and sinker!  Tucker and Lance knew it.  The amazing thing was that the other two people in the room had kept their mouths shut the entire night, except for their drink and dinner order.  I was curious as to what they had to say.


	9. Greer Hamilton

After the telecom vote and my confrontation with the Senator, I decided to go back to the office.   It was late, the sun had already set, but I had no other plans.  I figured I should eat but I had no desire to sit in a restaurant.  My mind kept replaying the interaction with Senator Evans.  I decided it was best not to be in public as I struggled to make sense of it all.  I stopped at a deli, ordered a sandwich and took it back to the office for what I knew would be a late night.  I wanted to get a jumpstart on the research for my new project, learning what I could about Briarwood Technical so I could be ready for my next confrontation with Senator Evans.

The office building was quiet, no hustle or bustle in the lobby.  I gave a nod to the security guard on duty in the lobby and made my way to the elevator bank.  As the doors slid open on our floor, it was surreal.  It wasn’t normal for me to come in at night.  I’d been here late before, but this was the first time I’d willingly walked in after hours.  The floor was illuminated only by the random emergency lights that were kept on.  The floor was deserted.  Almost the entire office was next door at our favorite bar for cheap margaritas.

I sent a text to Joanie to let her know I was working late.  She confirmed she was at the bar and even offered to come back to the office to help me if I needed it.  I told her that since she’d already been drinking she should stay and enjoy herself.  Honestly, I think I wanted the quiet.  I opened my sandwich wrapper and fired up my laptop.

While I wanted to focus on Briarwood, my thoughts kept wandering back to Senator Evans and what he said to me. “The apology was my idea.”  It also doesn’t escape my mind that he called me, Greer.  In all of my confrontations with him in the past I’ve always just been Hamilton.  I’m sure he’s had some other names for me but he’s been polite enough not to repeat them in front of me.  I know I’ve had other names for him.  I don’t know what it is about him, but he gets me worked up.

Fine, I know what it is.  He’s handsome, powerful, and has an ego!  Actually, I’m not so sure about the third thing.  I’ve often wondered what he’s like away from the Hill.  Is the angry and combative man I deal with the real Senator or the one for show?  And why am I even worried about it?  He thinks I’m beneath him and for that reason alone I should not give him a second thought.  But the way his eyes seem to look through me tonight gives me pause.  He sounded sincere when he apologized.

I was so lost in my thoughts over the Senator that I practically crawled out of my skin when my phone vibrated across my desk.  Once my heart began beating again and I composed myself, I picked it up.  I have a predisposition to be a little skittish and when you add in a dark office, where it’s quiet, and I’m engrossed in my own thoughts – the slightest thing will set me off.  I had an incoming text from an old friend asking if I had a few minutes to chat.  When I responded that I did, the phone rang immediately.

“Hey, Greer, how are you?” The mellow voice of my best friend from childhood came through the line.  “It’s been so long since we talked.”

Claudia Hightower grew up down the block from me.  We met on our first day of kindergarten and became inseparable.  We would play for hours in the park, had sleepovers, and obsessed over boys.  Everyone knew if you saw me, Claudia was close behind and vice versa.  So much so, we even went to college together.  If you didn’t know better, you’d think the two of us were twins.

Claudia studied public relations and marketing while I studied economics and started my path toward a legal career.  We separated when I went to law school and she took a job with a big-time PR firm.  Her career was on a fast track from the word go.  With my studying and her career, we hardly saw one another.  Suddenly I was taking the bar exam and moving to DC and she was the ‘it girl’ in the PR world.  We did keep a regular date to talk on the phone.  She would tell me the celebrities she met and I would get jealous.  Then she would tell me which ones were not nearly as nice as she had hoped and my jealousy would fade.

However, over the last year, those phone calls had become less frequent.   The calls came only every couple of weeks and, in fact, the last time I actually talked to Claudia was almost a month ago.  “I know, I’m sorry for being a horrible friend.  Things are just crazy in DC.  So tell me, what is  new and exciting in your world?”

“No need to apologize, we’ve both been busy.  But good news, I’m coming to DC tomorrow for a meeting and I was hoping we could see each other while I’m there.”

“What?  That’s fantastic!” I flipped through my calendar, “I’m free tomorrow, you want to meet for dinner?”

There was a long silence, “Actually, the meeting I have is a dinner meeting.  I’m getting in early and I was hoping we could do lunch.”

“Oh, sure, I can do that.”  I stared at my calendar to make sure I didn’t have any meetings that would cause a conflict.  If so, I’d just reschedule them, I’d rather see Claudia.  “What time do you want to meet?”

“How about 11:30?  I get in early but I have a few meetings in the morning.”

“Works for me, I’ll make a reservation and text you the location.”

“I’m looking forward to it, Greer.  I’ve missed you.”

We said our goodbyes, not wanting to talk for long on the phone and burn up conversation topics for the next day.  I do a quick search for a lunch location and make online reservations.  I text Claudia the details and start to get excited about seeing her.  While Joanie is a great friend and roommate, I’m yearning to have my best friend for dedicated conversation.  I need to talk to someone who I can trust and is not involved in the political circus.  She might be able to give me the fresh perspective I need on what’s been going on lately and how I can work through it.

~ * ~

We are meeting at Georgia Browns, a restaurant in DuPont Circle.  It’s only a few blocks from the Rothschild and Miller office so it is an easy walk for me.  I didn’t want to drive and have to worry about parking.  That is the worst part about living in DC.  I can deal with traffic and politics, but the parking situation is awful.  Street parking is hard to come by and feeding the meters are expensive.  And the costs for parking structures and lots are expensive if you can even find a vacancy.  I do drive into work, but I’ve got a parking spot as part of my compensation package.  When I have to go to meetings at the Senate Office Building, I do a rideshare or take the Metro.

I’m lucky that for the walk to the restaurant it’s not raining, snowing, or freezing cold.  There’s a chill in the air, but that doesn’t bother me.  In fact, this is an opportunity for me to have some exercise and walk off the meal I’m about to devour.  As I left the office, I told Joanie I wouldn’t be back.  I elected to make it a half-day so I wouldn’t have to be rushed to return.  I deserve the break.

As I enter the building, I see that Claudia has been seated in one of the half-moon booths in the bar area.  She’s seated so that she is facing the entrance and would be able to catch my attention when she walks in.  The booths are comfortable and have high backs which provide some privacy.  As I make my way towards her, I see several people that I recognize:   Congressmen/women, staffers, and reporters.  I take a few minutes to stop and say hello to those who wave me over.  You never know when I might need the help of some of these folks so I cannot afford to dismiss them.

As I approach the table, Claudia stands from the booth and quickly pulls me into a warm embrace.  “Oh my gosh, you look fantastic, Greer!”  She puts her hands on my shoulders and pushes me away slightly so she can get a better look.  “Wow, I think it’s safe to say DC has been treating you well.  It’s been two years since I last saw you and you look amazing girlfriend.”

I let out a laugh and a slight huff, “Thanks, but this is what too much work with no time to eat looks like.  Besides, you’re one to talk, Manhattan is serving you well.”

We took our seats in the booth and the waiter appeared immediately to pour two glasses of water and take our drink order.  Claudia took command, as usual, and ordered a bottle of wine saying we deserved it.  I couldn’t disagree with her.

I wasn’t kidding, Claudia looked amazing.  She was always a beautiful girl but the confidence in her job and the success she had achieved fit her well.  She had a grace and style about her that I could only wish to have.  “How are things in New York and what in the world are you doing in my town?” I gave her a wink as I reached for my glass of water.

“Things are good.  I stay busy because someone always needs a little help with the media.  Actually, that’s what has me here in DC.”

“Oh shocking, someone in DC needs public relations?” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of my voice.

“No, not like that!  I was asked to do a media profile and I’m here tonight to present it.  I’m telling you if this goes the way I anticipate then I’ll net a new client.  This could be huge for me, Greer.”

Now she had my curiosity piqued.  “Huge?  So can you give me the details?”

“I wish I could.  I’ve been sworn to secrecy on this one, even had to sign a non-disclosure agreement on it.  I mean, if it's in DC you can guarantee it has to do with a politician.  I had to dig into the background and look for skeletons that could be a public relations issue down the road,” her voice began to drift off.

I knew what this meant and she was right, for her it could be huge.  I reached across the table and touched her arm and lowered my voice to a harsh whisper, “Oh my God, you’re vetting a potential presidential candidate, aren’t you?  Republican or Democrat?”  My eyes were wide with anticipation over her response.

Claudia started to laugh, “I can neither confirm nor deny anything you just said.”  She gave me a wink as she finished her answer and I knew I was on the right track.  “I can’t give you specifics but my meeting tonight is to discuss my findings along with those of a few others.”

“How long are you in town for?”

“It all depends on how things go tonight.  I don’t know this person, just what I found on paper.  I’m just not sure how they will react to what is being presented.  I’m going to go get a hotel room after lunch to be safe.”

“That is so exciting.  I have to walk that fine line between the parties and can’t get political.  Heck, I can’t even give my own opinion on the legislation I’m working.”  There were times I wish I could be active in my own causes and volunteer for things that wouldn’t be politicized or held against me later.  Instead, I have to throw myself into the bill I am trying to pass and make sure that everyone believes my stand.  I know the fact that I don’t always believe in what I’m doing makes me a horrible person.  But I don’t get to pick what causes I serve.  I don’t have enough political clout or influence to be able to do that.  Right now I’m a hired gun, which is why so many Senators and Congressional members think we are scum.

Our waiter returned to our table with the bottle of wine.  He deftly opened it and poured each of us a glass before stepping away.  He could tell we weren’t ready to order so he didn’t even bother to ask.  Bless him for being observant.  Claudia raised her glass and made a toast to our friendship.  We each topped off our glass following the toast, at this rate, we might empty the bottle before we have a chance to order food.

As Claudia sipped her wine, I noticed she was eyeing me carefully.  She sat her glass down then said something that made my heart stop.  “I ran into your parents the other night at the theater.  They said they were going on vacation to Italy, I think.”  I could tell she was watching for my reaction and was disappointed when I didn’t immediately fly off the handle.

Instead, I let her words linger.  I was not particularly close with my parents.  I spoke to them every other week just to make sure they are alive, but I don’t visit them.  In fact, I routinely come up with every excuse imaginable to keep me from going to visit them.  To be fair, they aren’t making an effort to visit me either.  I’ve invited them numerous times and receive excuse after excuse as to why a visit to DC just isn’t possible at the moment.  No, when it comes to their vacations and time away from the city, they prefer to visit Europe or take a cruise.

“Actually, they’re going to France first and then onto Italy.”

“Did they tell you that?”  Claudia knew that my relationship was strained so if they were giving me details of a vacation it was big news.

I scoffed at her remark and took a sip of my wine.  “No, my brother did.  Noah called this morning to congratulate me on the telecom bill passing and he mentioned it.  I talked to mom last weekend and it was never mentioned, so I don’t think Noah was supposed to tell me.”  I should probably be ashamed that my relationship with them is not what it should be.  However, I can’t dwell on something that depresses me and takes up too much energy to think about.

Growing up the only daughter, and third child, of Franklin and Rachael Hamilton had been idyllic.  My parents doted on me and let me try to find my own path.  My parents were both lawyers and always hoped that all three of their children would follow in their footsteps.  They didn’t push any of us, just offered their advice and hoped we would move on to the legal field.  My oldest brother, Elliott, had decided early on that he wanted to be in the military.  While my parents were not thrilled with it, they didn’t do anything to stop him.

Elliott was six years older my senior and I worshiped him.  I followed him around and wanted to do everything he did.  When he joined the Marines, my heart sank.  He was going to ship off to boot camp and then travel the world and I wouldn't have him around as much.  It broke my heart.  He promised my parents he would pursue the law when his days as a Marine were over.  Unfortunately, when I was a junior in high school, Elliott was killed in action and those dreams were dashed.  My parents became more focused on my brother Noah and me,  pushing us to do what they wanted and not offering us a chance to choose.  Their argument was that they let Elliott choose and now he was dead.

My parents were happy that I elected to go to Columbia, their alma mater, the school Noah thumbed his nose at.  Unlike Elliott, I willingly decided to go into the legal profession.  I loved to argue and excelled in debate, it was a clear career path.  However, their pride turned to disappointment when they realized my path would lead to corporate law.  When I took an internship at a large Manhattan firm in their mergers and acquisitions department, I thought my mother would have a heart attack.

Rachael Hamilton ran the Brooklyn Legal Aid office and had been providing legal services to the poor and disadvantaged for years.  She was, in the kindest terms possible, a far leaning liberal.  She was disappointed that I was more interested in corporate ladders and money grubbing than I was at focusing on giving back to the people in my community.  She forgot that we lived on the Upper East side and not in Brooklyn.  We were far from disadvantaged although we were not millionaires, either.

Franklin Hamilton was a defense attorney that had been involved with a few notorious cases over the years.  He only had one policy that he stuck to throughout his career.  He would not touch a mob-related case, but that didn’t stop them from trying to hire him.  My father quit his large law firm and opened his own practice when Noah finished law school.  He wanted to run a family law firm, it had been his dream for years.  He was always with the anticipation that his three kids would join him, but he would at least settle for two.

When I turned my sights on moving to DC and taking a position with Rothschild and Miller, the divide in my family deepened.  My parents were hurt that I did not want to join my father’s firm.  Noah was angry that I was getting to make a decision on my own while he felt like he had to carry the mantle for him and Elliott.  The day before my move to DC, my parents went on a cruise.  Noah wasn’t enthusiastic about it but he at least helped me pack my car and saw me off at the curb.  No one came with me to help me get settled.

I broke the news to my parents in one of our semi-regular phone calls that I was being moved from corporate litigation.  When my mother realized I was now going to be a lobbyist, she hung up on me.  Luckily my parents were on a conference call and my father was still on the line.  He expressed his disappointment that I was selling my soul for politics.  He said my mother was just concerned that I was becoming one of those people who would continually help the government do what they could to hurt the poor and underprivileged.

My relationship with Noah has gotten better at least.  He isn’t as bitter as he once was and he admitted part of his problem is jealousy.  He wishes he could do what he wants but feels like it just isn’t an option.  He hates that my parents treat me the way they do, and he tries to mediate, but he is stuck in the middle.

“I’m sorry, Greer.  Have they still never visited you?  What about Noah?”

“No, they’ve never been here.  And Noah, I think my father has probably threatened him and told him not to come down here.” I say it with a laugh in the hopes of hiding the pain.  The part about my father is a joke.  However, part of me wonders if I might be spot on in my assessment.  “Hey, look at the bright side.  If they don’t come to visit, then I don’t have to pretend to love my job.”

Claudia raises her napkin to keep from spitting out her wine.  As she choked it back she began to cough incessantly.  “Sorry, I think that went down the wrong pipe,” she said as she reached for her water glass.  “Well, you’ve answered my next question regarding how your life as a lobbyist is progressing.”

“It is not, and never will be my dream job.  But to quote the Stones, you can’t always get what you want.”


	10. Greer Hamilton

Lunch with Claudia was comfortable.  However, I kept looking over my shoulder to make sure that no one around us was listening to our conversation.  It would be a nightmare if we were overheard and details were leaked.  Not that I figured she had given me anything juicy on her candidate, but I didn’t want to slip and say something that could be repeated.  Especially since I knew this conversation was on a collision course with my job and how unhappy I was.

“So things aren’t as great as you want your parents to believe?”

“No.  I know if I’m ever honest with my parents about how things are or what my concerns are, they will just give me the speech as to why I shouldn’t have moved to DC.”  I took a sip of my wine and took a deep breath as I let that declaration sink into my own head.

“Is there any chance ol’ what’s his name will move you back to litigation?”  I had to snicker because I know that Claudia knows Preston’s name.  We used to laugh over how pretentious the name Preston Xavier Miller sounded.  Of course, it also sounds like money, which is spot on.  

I shook my head to answer her question.  “It’ll never happen.  I think I’ll be stuck on the lobbying side for the foreseeable future.”  I shouldn’t unload on her, but I need to vent to someone.  “I thought he’d throw me over there and it would be short-lived because he would see I was better at litigation.  But Preston ignored me after assigning to me to lobbying until two weeks ago.  That’s when everything turned on its head.”

Claudia eyed me carefully.  She was watching my body language to see if I was telling the truth, I knew her tricks.  “What happened two weeks ago?”

“He gave me a big deal to work.  It’s bigger than anything I’ve ever worked before, Claudia.”

“That doesn’t surprise me, you were named one of the most influential lobbyists, right?  Why wouldn’t he want to trust you with a big deal?”

“Are you kidding? Everything I’ve worked on up this point has been fluff legislation, no real substance or impact.  The idea of me having influence is a joke.  I think he probably paid to get me on that list so it would serve his own purpose.”

“Ok, assuming you’re right, what would his purpose be?”

“I’m not entirely sure.  Preston called me into the office and said I was doing a great job.  So great, in fact, that he wanted me to work on the renewal of the Briarwood Technical deal.”  Claudia’s eyes went wide with surprise.  “Close your mouth, Claud, you’re going to catch flies with it hanging open like that.”

She closed her mouth and tried to formulate the appropriate response.  As her brain churned, the waiter appeared to take our lunch order.  I was so thankful that he had such impeccable timing and I made a mental note to give him a good tip just for that reason alone.  We discussed several menu options and then ordered.  I actually requested an ice tea and decided to ease up on the wine.  If I drank much more, I’d get drunk, and things could go seriously downhill from there.

When our waiter walked off, Claudia crossed her arms and leaned forward on the table.  “Alright, the deal is huge, you’re right.  Did you ever think that maybe Preston has goals for you?  Maybe wants to give you a promotion and before he does that he needs to know you can handle a case the size of Briarwood?”

I had to admit that I liked where her mind was going.  However, I didn’t see that as being the case.  “I’m so low on the totem pole there is no way he is thinking of a promotion.  He has two of the biggest guns in DC on his staff so I don’t know why he is focusing on me.”  Now it was my turn to lean forward on the table.  “Do you ever get the feeling that things aren’t what they seem to be, but you just can't put your finger on what it is?  That’s me right now.  I think this is all fishy, but I don’t know why I feel that way.”

“Greer, if you’re unhappy with where your career is right now, move on.  With your experience and you could easily get a job at a firm in Chicago or New York.  Hell, go west, head to Los Angeles.”

“I’ve considered it, but that would mean I have to start at the bottom again.  I’m not sure I’m willing to do that.”  I leaned back against the booth and reached for my glass of water.  “I’ve put so much time in here that I’ll feel like it was a waste to quit and move on.”

“You could always go work for your dad.  Maybe he’d finally be willing to expand the family firm into corporate work.”

I had to keep from busting out laughing.  “I think if he took me in it would mean hell froze over.”

Claudia shook her head. “I’m trying to help you and you keep shutting me down.  If we’ve established you hate your job and don’t want to quit, why are you continuing down this path?”

That was the million-dollar question and I didn’t have a legitimate answer for it.  I knew that if I tried to spin something, Claudia would see right through it.  After all, I’d be stepping into her territory and believe me, I’m not nearly as skilled as she is.  I fiddled with the napkin on the table and tried to stall for time.  Luckily the waiter and his impeccable timing showed up.

He placed our food in front of us and picked at my blackened catfish caesar salad.  I finally blew out a breath and sat my fork down. “No matter how I say this it won’t paint me in a very good light but here I go.  I’m terrified of the idea of starting over.  I haven’t been in a courtroom in two years, I’m afraid I’ve lost my touch.  Hell, I haven’t even taken a deposition.  What if I’m not capable of doing it and I fail miserably?”

Claudia flung herself back against the booth and put her fork down.  She stared at me with utter astonishment.  “I'm serious, Claudia.  It is fear that is keeping me here right now.  Not only of failing if I moved on but of Preston trying to ruin my reputation if I stayed in the city and went to another firm.  He scares me a little.  This is the first time I’m actually admitting that to anyone.”

The expression on Claudia’s face had changed to one of concern.  “Greer, has he done something to you?  You’d tell me if he had, right?”

I shook my head.  “He hasn’t done what your mind is thinking.  Heavens no, and yes, I would tell you if he had.  I’m referring more to the way he talks to me.  His tone of voice and the idea that he’s put me on a defense contract that could have significant implications.  I get this feeling like he’s setting me up.”

“Why would he set up a member of his own team on a contract that he’s being paid to get passed?  It makes no sense.”

I nodded in agreement.  “I know, I sound deranged.  But he has put me in a position to have to work with the Senate Intelligence Committee to get this passed.  I don’t necessarily get along with a member of the committee.”

“We all have to work with people we don’t like.  That doesn’t mean Preston is setting you up or giving you a reason to be scared of  him.”  I could tell I had her baffled.

“It’s more than that.  The Senator and I have been verbally sparring with one another for some time.  At the telecom event before the vote, we had an altercation.  It was stupid, he was rude to me and I was rude back.  I didn’t know that Preston was there and had witnessed it.” I reached for my tea this time and took a slow drink.  “At the end of the evening, Preston called the Senator’s Chief of Staff and gave him a tongue lashing over the way I was treated.”  I slowly set my glass back on the table and made eye contact with Claudia.  “I found out about it after the fact and I was embarrassed.  I’m sure the Senator thinks I ran home to my boss and complained about him and then asked for him to defend my honor.”

“Please tell me you’re kidding?  That’s mildly creepy for him to watch you and then defend you like that.  I mean if he had talked to you about it that’s one thing.  I see now why you say there’s something weird going on.”  Claudia leaned forward and lowered her voice.  “So, how did the Senator react?”

“He apologized to me.  After the telecom vote, which he voted against, he saw me in the hallway and told me he was sorry for not acting like a proper gentleman.”

“Wow, and you think he only apologized because Preston called him?”

“Originally I did.  However, I asked him if he was doing this on his own or because Preston called him.  He said it was his idea.  I’m telling you, I was so blown away by his statement that I couldn’t admit to him that I hadn’t said anything to Preston.”

I had this feeling that as I said all of this out loud, Claudia would think I’m insane.  To say I’m at my job only because I’m too scared to fail was one thing.  To tell her I’m afraid of my boss is another.  But then to tell her about my combative relationship with a Senator, she has to think I’m totally nuts.  

I picked up my fork and started to pick at and eat my salad.  Claudia then picked up her fork and the two of us ate in companionable silence for several minutes.   I didn’t know what else to say to her.  Finally, Claudia sat her fork down and wiped her mouth with her napkin.  She pushed her plate away from her and rested her elbows on the table.  She looked as if she meant business when she began to speak.

“Greer, who is the Senator that you’ve had your run in with?”

I lowered my head.  I didn’t want to go down this path, but I realized I opened the door.  I let out a sigh, put my own fork down and brought my napkin to my mouth.  I finally raised my head and made eye contact with Claudia before I said, “Senator Evans from Massachusetts.”

To her credit, Claudia looked surprised.  “Really?  So, it’s not that you don’t get along with a member of the Committee?  You don’t get along with the Chairman of the Committee?”

I nodded.  “He doesn’t like me.  Well, he doesn’t like lobbyists in general, and I fall into that category.  He scowls at me every time I’ve tried to talk to him.  We’ve had more than one disagreement over legislation.  I’ve quit calling on him, Claudia.  I can’t take the abuse from him.”

“Abuse?  That’s a strong word to use, Greer.  Is he this way with all lobbyists or is it a gender issue?”

“Fine, maybe abuse is too harsh.  It’s not like he’s ever raised a hand to me or anything.  I like Patrick, his Chief of Staff, but the Senator isn’t open and friendly.  I’ve never seen him with other lobbyists and I don’t ever talk about him with anyone else.  Maybe he just hates me, I don’t know.”

“What are your thoughts about him?  Do you hate him?”

I did not expect Claudia to ask me a question like that.  I had to take a minute to think about the proper way to answer her because the truth was I liked the Senator.  He drove me insane from a work perspective, but if I put that to the side, he’s a man of values, morals, and unwavering patriotism.

“Senator Evans is well-respected and well-versed.  What I respect is his position and what he stands for.  However, he doesn’t like lobbyists and is very vocal about that.  Since that’s my vocation, I have to anticipate that he doesn’t have the same respect for me.”  I take a deep breath before continuing.  “He has integrity and can bring in support from both sides of the aisle.  He is also opinionated, but I do think he is fair in his political judgments.”

Claudia began to smile.  “You better be careful, Greer.  It almost sounds like you have a crush on the Senator.”  

I could feel my cheeks flush.  “No, I don’t have a crush on him.  All you hear is my respect for a man with a position of power within the government that I have to work with.  I just wish he would realize that not all lobbyists are scum and that some of us have ideals outside of what we are paid to do.”

~ * ~

Immediately following lunch, I walked with Claudia to the office building where she would be setting up shop while in town.  The building was a small business incubator that rents out office and conference space to visiting professionals who need a base of operations when they are in town temporarily.  

“So you really won’t give me any information on your dinner meeting or potential candidate will you?”

Claudia let out a laugh. “I have to give you credit for being tenacious.  But no, I’m not telling you anything.  Maybe if the meeting goes well I can slide you some details tomorrow.”

Suddenly my mind went back to what Claudia had mentioned earlier.  “Did you say you were going to get a hotel room?”

“Yeah, I’ll make a reservation when I get settled into the office.”

“I have a better idea.  Why don’t you stay with me?  Joanie and I have a small guest room that you can use.  I mean it won’t be as nice as a fancy hotel room, but then again, you won’t have to wait for a reimbursement either.”

“You’re only offering so I’ll spill details after dinner tonight,” she said deadpanned.

“Well, yeah, that and I figure it can be like an old-fashioned sleepover.  Come on, you said it yourself, it’s been too long since we’ve seen one another.  This will give us time to catch up while you’re in town.”

I was selfish in asking her to stay.  While I love having Joanie as my roommate and we share quite a bit, she works for me and there are some things we can’t talk about.  There is a barrier that has to be there.  With Claudia, it is a sense of home and family, something I miss terribly and long to have.  I didn’t want to come out and say that to her.  I didn’t want to make guilt her into agreeing to stay with me.  But those were my reasons for pushing and offering her the room.

“You have a point.  Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all!  Is your bag already at the office?  I can get it and take it home with me.”

~ * ~

After getting her bag and giving her the address for the apartment, I left and started for the nearest Metro station.  I had to get back to the office and my car so I could drive home.  I called Joanie to give her the heads up that we were going to have a guest at the apartment.  I didn’t want to go into the office and tell her because I knew I would just end up working and I wanted to take the remainder of the day off.   Just as I had anticipated, Joanie did not have an issue with Claudia staying with us.  I think it’s because she knew she would be able to get ‘dirt’ on me by finally meeting someone from my past.

Once I arrived home, I cleaned the apartment from top to bottom.  I then decided to settle in on the couch and continue my research for Briarwood Technical.  I had to face Senator Evans in a few days and I needed to be completely prepared.


	11. Senator Chris Evans

The conversation at the table was surreal.  I could not believe we were actually discussing my potential run for President of the United States.  In my head, I was volleying back and forth between this being a far-fetched idea and a brilliant one.   The media consultant and the pollster were not participating in the conversation, they were just listening.  However, I needed to change that and get them engaged.  

I turned to the woman seated to the right. “Ms. Hightower, correct?”  She nodded and I noticed she sat a little straighter in her seat.  I had felt her watching me very closely all night and now I wanted to hear what she had to say and why.   “You’ve been awfully quiet this evening.  I’m interested in your opinion regarding this meeting and the role you play.”

She cleared her throat and began to speak.  “Senator, I think Mr. Bishop and Mr. Nash have outlined their intent for the evening.  There’s substantial interest in the prospect of you..”

I help up my hand to cut her off.  “Claudia, if I may.  I asked for your opinion about the meeting and your role.  I know what Bishop and Nash are doing and why we’re here.  But tell me why you’re here and why you want to be part of it.  I know you do marketing and public relations and you’re going to spin information.  So how about we cut to the chase?”  I gave her a wink to let her know I wasn’t trying to be a complete jackass.

“Okay, I’m here because I ran the numbers to see how well you would play in the markets outside of Massachusetts.  I had to do research on your family, your voting background, your beliefs, even what you eat for breakfast.  I needed to know what was lurking in the shadows that could possibly kill your presidential bid before it even starts.  I think you are a smart choice and this meeting was the best way to go about trying to convince you to run.”

“Does your data tell you all of that?”  

“Yes and no.  The data tells me you are well liked at home.  You have a high approval rating and they support your decisions.  Your constituents loved your father and by virtue of family ties, they immediately loved you.  It certainly didn’t hurt that you were a veteran and considered a war hero.”  

Claudia paused as if she was watching me for any sort of reaction.  Somehow, I had this feeling that what was coming next wasn’t going to set well with me.  “You’re a widower, the death of your wife endeared you to your constituents and made you relatable to the masses.  However, in DC you’re seen as aloof and known for being prickly.  There are exceptions.  You have several close friends in the Senate, but that’s it.  It does count that you’re well respected and everyone knows you do your due diligence before a vote.  They trust when you speak and are even willing to vote your way if you make an impassioned plea for them to do so.

“I’m here because I was asked to join.  I stayed because the information I found made me realize you aren’t a power hungry, step-all-over-the-little-man type of politician.  It’s refreshing and that’s someone I could get behind.”

I listened carefully to everything she had to say.  I’m impressed that she didn’t refer to a file or note cards for her information.  Everything was in her head and that meant she had studied and understood what she had found.  The thing is, I can’t disagree with anything she’s said.  I glanced over at Patrick to see if he wants to say anything.  He appears to be just as impressed as I am.  But I can tell he wanted to ask her a question, so I gave him a head nod and encouraged him.

“Ms. Hightower,” Patrick spoke up, “Does Chris, excuse me, Senator Evans, have the broad appeal that he would need to run?”  It was the question that we were there for, so it only made sense that we get it out of the way.  “I think it’s great you’ve done your basic homework on him, but most of what you’ve rattled off can be found on Wikipedia.”

Lance Bishop raised his hand to his face to hide his smile.  Tucker Nash had a hard time swallowing his drink.  I think Patrick caught them all off guard with his comment.  

“Mr. O’Neill,” Claudia began as she stared him straight in the eye, “I do need to commend you for helping the Senator keep his involvement quiet in saving your life in Afghanistan.  As well as his assistance in getting you the therapy and medical services required after your life began to spiral out of control when your sister, the Senator’s wife, passed away and your own wife left you.  Frankly, the fact that he has saved your ass more than once would endear him to more of the population if that information was readily available to the general public.”

Patrick’s eyes began to blaze. I could tell he wanted to propel himself across the table at Claudia Hightower.  I placed my arm across his chest as if I was holding a child in place before the impact of a car accident.  I didn’t like what she had said either, but she was making a point and I had to at least respect what she was doing.

I glanced at Patrick, giving him a look that let him know I would handle the response.  I turned to Ms. Hightower and leaned forward.  “You’ve made your point.  So, you were able to obtain some information that might not be available through a basic internet search.  I appreciate that you were polite earlier in not referencing those details.”  I scanned the faces of the men at the table then calmly continued.  “As you can imagine, the issues related to Mr. O’Neill and any of the circumstances regarding the passing of my wife are not for public consumption.  They are not to be used in campaign materials and are not propaganda.  Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir, Senator.  However, if I found this information, you know that any of your opponents can find it as well.  These things most likely will be brought up, you have to be prepared to handle them.”

She was right.  I had been lucky that in the Senate race, my opponent hadn't used Elizabeth.  Primarily because he knew it would work against him.  But in a national race, the gloves were off and something that would generally garner sympathy could be spun to make me look bad.  Don’t ask me how my wife dying of cancer could make me look bad, but I had to be prepared.  More than anything, I think the fact that Patrick had had addiction issues and he was my right-hand man would be my achilles heel.  

I turned and faced Richard Ramsey. “What do you think my chances are if I run?”

Ramsey pushed his glasses up on his nose and cleared his throat. “Out of the candidates that are currently running, if you were to join the race, you would immediately begin leading the polls and by a decisive margin.  You have name recognition and you were able to generate excitement.”  He reached for his glass of water and took a sip.  “We ran some polling data in which we made you the presumptive nominee and put you against the Republican front-runner and the race was tight.  That was without any platform or issues being put forth by you, sir.”

Tucker leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his head.  “Senator, I think this shows us that you would be an incredibly solid candidate and you should seriously consider a Presidential run.”

“You’re leaving out a big piece here, Tucker,” I start to retort, “You’re not supposed to actively lobby for a candidate to run when the DNC already has several members of their party actively seeking the nomination.”

Tucker partially stood so he could lean forward on the table.  He was trying to look menacing and powerful, but it wasn’t working on me. “I told you already, Senator, we need a candidate who can win and right now we don’t have that.  Which is why we’re having this conversation.”  He raised a hand and waved it at the dining room outside the french doors that separated us from the rest of the restaurant. “To the outside world, this is a meeting for us to get you to vote for one of our current candidates.  Unless you plan on telling them otherwise.”

As Tucker took his seat, the door opened and our waiter walked in.  Our dinners were being brought in, so, once again, we tabled any discussions while servers moved around the room.  I let the information they had given me run through my brain.  They were spouting off facts like I’m popular at home and that I have name recognition.  But they weren't saying why they thought I’d win.  Did they honestly think that, just because I’m more likable than the Republican candidate, I'd  win?  

I take several bites of my steak and then slowly put my utensils down and pushed my plate back.  I wiped my mouth with my napkin and reached for the glass of wine that had been poured when dinner was served.  As I set my glass back on the table, I decided to take a chance and say what was on my mind.

“If I am to understand this, the DNC wants me to run for President without having any idea of what my platform might be or what I stand for.”  Tucker moved to interrupt, but I held up my hand to stop him.  “If you want me to run, you should know the basics.  I’m a moderate Democrat.  Lance, you already know that.  I’m liberal, but no so far left that I can’t be mainstream.  I don’t want to take guns away from anyone.  After all, it’s their Constitutional right.  But I do believe in gun control and I do know that seems odd since I’m a military veteran.”

Lance put down his fork and gave me a hard stare. “Is this your way of saying this is your platform and you’ll run?”

I shake my head. “I’m not saying anything right now.  All I’m doing is giving you facts about who I am and what I stand for before you tell me that you’re ready for me to accept.”

“If I may, Senator,” Claudia said as she placed her napkin on the table.  Immediately, all eyes at the table shifted to her.  “I believe your platform would also revolve around education and veteran rights.  You’ve spoken at length regarding the importance of education for our youth and the need to raise our standards to compete on a global stage.  Math and science initiative need to be prominent and educational access should not be based on geography or parental status.”

Patrick leaned over and whispered, “I think she read some of your speeches.  She really did her research.”  I nodded in agreement.

“You’ve also spoken in depth regarding our veterans and the epidemic of their lack of health care or access to services for mental issues due to wartime trauma.  You’ve advocated an easier health care system that didn’t rely solely on the Veteran’s Administration, especially after the debacle in Phoenix a few years ago.”  She paused for effect and turned to look at Lance and Tucker who nodded in encouragement.  “Am I remotely close to touching on the issues that you would indicate are close to your heart, sir?”

“Claudia, if I run for office are you going to be on my campaign team?”

“It would depend.  Are you going to run and be the man we know you can be?  Or are you going to be the Senator with the propensity to argue with lobbyists and refuse to do interviews?”

“Touche.” Ms. Hightower had certainly done her homework and was not afraid to speak her mind.  I actually liked that.  Don’t get me wrong, I had no feelings for her in any way other than professional.  But I was impressed that she wasn’t afraid of me or the conversation that we’re having.

As everyone finished up with dinner, Richard Ramsey spoke up, “Senator, there is one other matter that we should bring up and I think it may have a significant impact on your decision to run.”

Lance and Tucker exchanged glances, I could tell they looked worried.  They didn’t say anything to keep Richard from speaking, but I could sense that they wanted to.  Even Claudia tensed a little.

“Ok, what would that issue be, Richard?”  I asked delicately.

“Your marital status.”  

His answer was a matter of fact and I was glad I wasn’t taking a drink because I would have spit sprayed it across the room.  I heard Patrick let out an audible, “Fuck” after Richard dropped that little bomb.  I stared at him and tried to keep my voice even, “What about my marital status?”

“Well, sir, with all due respect, we haven’t had a bachelor President since James Buchanan.”

“That’s true, but Grover Cleveland was a bachelor when elected and got married in the White House and we’ve had four Presidents who entered the White House as widowers.  I’m not seeing that my status as a widower who is not in a relationship is a burden to a potential Presidential campaign.” I couldn’t help that my voice was starting to rise and I was getting indignant.

Patrick put his hand on my shoulder in an attempt to calm me.  “Chris, let them talk and listen to what they have to say.”

Tucker decided to speak up and see if he could smooth the situation. “Putting all the cards on the table, here it is in a nutshell.  You’re a handsome guy, Chris, and the media will have a field day with a single candidate that looks like you.  The women on the campaign trail will swoon and the fact that you have a solid platform will be ignored because everyone will comment on how handsome you are.”  I scoffed at what he said g because it was ridiculous.  “If you’re viewed as being in a committed relationship, the focus moves away from your looks and onto your platform.  And the comments about your less than perfect disposition goes away, too.”

“So you want me to deceive the American people to get elected?  Enter into a fake relationship and pretend to be dating, engaged, or married so that I look like I’m the perfect candidate?   You all know that didn’t work for Jack Kennedy, right?”

“Actually,” Claudia spoke up, “The popularity of Jackie helped quite a bit.  She was every bit as popular as her husband and you know that.  I think you are aware that this is a smart ploy to get you in the White House but you don’t want to admit it.”

“It’s disrespectful to my wife,” I choked out before I downed the rest of the glass of wine that was sitting in front of me.

The room was quiet for several minutes before Lance Bishop spoke.  “Chris, we don’t want to tarnish the relationship you had with Elizabeth in any way.  We aren’t saying we will ignore the fact that she passed, we know cancer research and health care is a platform for you as well.  Celebrate Elizabeth, but you can have a woman in your life, at least for the campaign.”

Deep down I knew they were right.  I had been without Elizabeth for longer than I was married to her.  Patrick had even alluded to the fact that I had mourned long enough.  I think it has been easier for me to be the mournful widower than to put myself out there and try to date.  After all, now that I’m a public and political figure, you never know if the intentions of someone were pure or not.

“Fine, I take it you have someone in mind?”

Lance and Tucker shook their heads, but Claudia spoke up, “I do.  I have the perfect candidate in mind.”

~ * ~

Patrick and I arrived back at my house around ten.  I walked into the house and tossed my keys into the small bowl on the table in the foyer.  The events of our dinner still swirled through my brain.  There was just too much to comprehend.  The idea that they wanted me to run for office, that I could deal with. The fact that they wanted me to run and have a significant other for the campaign?  Well, I didn’t like it, but it made sense and I’d live with it.

However, when Claudia Hightower said she had the perfect candidate for me to use in my fake relationship I had not expected her to suggest Greer Hamilton.  I almost choked on my drink before I could manage to say anything.  When I could speak I gave her a piece of my mind and let her know I how felt about it.  In fact, I think my exact words had been, “No fucking way!”

I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.  Resting my head against the back of the couch, I covered my face with my hands and let out a strangled sigh.  I could hear Patrick laughing, and from the sound of his voice, he was over near the bar.  Sure enough, I heard the clink of the top of the decanter opening.  He was pouring us each a drink.

He came towards me and kicked my foot, causing me to startle and sit up.  “Here, drink this, you’ll feel better.”

I took the glass and drank its contents in one gulp.  The burn on the way down felt good.  “Can you believe she suggested Hamilton?”  I didn’t expect Patrick to respond, but I certainly didn’t expect him to laugh.

His snicker echoed through the house. “The look on your face was priceless.  My God, I thought you were going to have a stroke.”

“It’s not funny.” I stood up and walked over to pour another glass of scotch.  “I have no clue why she even suggested it and I can’t even fathom it.”

“Well, maybe if you hadn’t gotten up and stormed out you could have heard the reasoning.”

“Holy shit, you think this is that funny?”  I asked while glaring at my soon-to-be former Chief-of-Staff if he wasn’t careful.  “How in the hell can you even remotely think this is comical?”

“Think about it, Chris.  The tension between the two of you is off the charts.  What if it’s sexual tension?”

“I can tell you it isn’t sexual tension!” I spat back at him.

“You’re too upset over this which means there are deeper feelings,” Patrick rose from his seat and walked over towards me.  I can tell he’s guarded because he’s afraid I’m gonna throw a punch.  The thought crosses my mind but I’m holding back at the moment.  “I think you owe it to everyone to at least listen to their train of thought.  I don’t think it’s a bad idea, actually.  You and Greer Hamilton are stunning together.”

I let out a growl, his words are not what I want to hear.  But he has a point.  The absolute least I could do is to listen to their pitch.  Just because I listen to it doesn’t mean I have to agree.  But it was rude for me to walk out.  I grab my phone and quickly fire off a text to Lance.

I’m sorry I walked out.  I’m willing to reconvene and discuss.  Call me tomorrow to set up.

Almost immediately he texted me back.

I understand.  We hit a nerve.  I’ll call you tomorrow, thanks, Chris.

“There, I’ve texted Lance and we’ll meet tomorrow.  I’ll give them a chance to pitch the idea of a relationship with Greer.  Does that make you happy?”

Patrick smiled and started for the door. “Yes, it does. Now if you only keep an open mind about it and give it serious consideration it would be even better.”


	12. Greer Hamilton

It had been a quiet night at home.  Joanie and I had take-out and watched a movie.  She had wanted to know about my lunch with Claudia, so I gave her a quick overview but left out the reason for my friend's visit to DC.  It wasn’t my news to share, besides Claudia had told me the information was confidential anyway.  When Joanie finally went to bed, I started to work on my Briarwood research.  Honestly, it had ended up being a typical night for us.  The only difference was the fact that I was waiting for Claudia to come back to the apartment after her dinner with her hush-hush clients.

Her soft knock on the door finally sounded around eleven.  Evidently, the doorman in the lobby had let her in.  I had put her name on the registry so she could have access.  I had expected her to at least send me a text to at least let me know she was on her way.  Then again, no one would be knocking on my door unless security had let them in so I shouldn’t be surprised or freaked out by the soft knock even at the late hour.  As I opened the door,  I noticed that even though her appearance was put together, the look in her eyes said something was seriously off.  I stepped to the side so she could walk in.

As she entered the apartment, Claudia kicked off her heels and made a beeline for the couch.  She noticed my work notes strewn all over the coffee table and asked, “Are you still working?” She turned and looked back at me.  I finished locking the door and walked over to straighten everything up, but never answered her.  “Greer, you work too hard.  You need to get out and live a little, get a life, girl.”

I decided to just play it off.  “I was just trying to keep myself busy while I was waiting for you.  I have research to do for Briarwood, it’s no big deal.  Besides, I have a life.”

“Oh really?  Because if memory serves me right, during our discussion at lunch you never mentioned you had a man in your life.  In fact, I accused you of crushing on the Senator.  So, are you dating?”

“No, I can emphatically state that I am not dating the Senator.”

“You fool, I meant are you seeing anyone?  I know you aren’t dating the Senator.”

I shook my head, almost embarrassed to admit that.  I was in my early thirties, still single and with no prospects.  The thing is I wasn't one of those women who made the decision to put career over family.  I’d love to have a relationship and be a partner to someone.  However, in DC, it isn’t that easy to find what you’re looking for.  Most of the men I come in contact with are politicians who are already married, on their way to divorce, or just not interested in dating a lobbyist.  Those who are not politicians are usually too busy trying to find their way into politics.  And I never have enough free time to go to social gatherings to meet female friends much less find a firefighter, police officer, or doctor who would be willing to date a woman who is a lobbyist.

“Well, we need to rectify that, don’t we?” Claudia asked with a wink.

I didn't want to have this conversation, at least not right now.  So, I deflected back to her reason for being in town.  “How did the meeting go with your potential Presidential candidate?”

Claudia rolled her eyes.  “I thought we were making progress.  He seemed to be on board and close to declaring that he would run.  That is until he stormed out.”

“What?!  He stormed out?  What in the hell happened?”  What in the hell would have caused a potential candidate to just walk out on their meeting?  More importantly, what was said that set him off to make him storm out?  

“Yeah, it was a great meeting up until the end.  He seemed to be open to the idea of running, more so than I actually anticipated.  Greer, I’m telling you the numbers on this guy are off the charts.  No skeletons in his closet and he’s a freaking boy scout.”  Claudia got comfortable on the couch, pulling her feet up and under her into the lotus position.  As she sat facing me, I could see the excitement sparking in her eyes.  “Things turned sour when his marital status came up for discussion. He’s not married so we suggested he would benefit from a relationship of convenience.  Have him enter a mutually beneficial relationship that could help him in the election.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with that.  I mean, it makes perfect sense.  A married candidate, or at least a candidate in a committed relationship, is viewed as more stable and secure.  That makes them more appealing to voters.  Hell, even I get that.”

“Exactly!  We were trying to make that case, but he wasn’t excited about it.”

I rose from the couch and made my way towards the kitchen.  The area was opened between the two rooms so I didn’t have to raise my voice to speak to Claudia as I moved from one room to the other.  “So he stormed out over the suggestion?  Geez, he sounds like a hot head.  Maybe he’s the wrong candidate after all.”

“Actually, he didn’t storm out until we offered up a suggestion for who he could be in the relationship with.  He didn’t like who we suggested and that’s why he left.”

As I opened the refrigerator, I asked Claudia if she wanted anything to drink.  When she said yes, I pulled out the bottle of wine that I had been drinking earlier.  Even though it was late, she was giving me great gossip and I felt it was appropriate to have a drink.  As I poured the wine, I asked the next logical question, “So who was the suggested candidate for the relationship?”

Claudia stood and walked around the back of the couch.  She was facing me and closing the distance between us.  I had my glass of wine in one hand, the bottle in the other.  “Well, see, I suggested you would be the perfect candidate.”

The bottle slipped from my hand and I gripped the glass so hard it broke.  As the bottle shattered around my feet, wine began to pool around my feet.  I suddenly realized I had glass cutting into my palm and quickly released it, sending the remaining shards to the floor.  With all of the commotion, Joanie’s bedroom door opened and she came running out.

She looked around and assessed the situation and started yelling.  “Don’t move, Greer.  You don’t have shoes on and you’re going to cut yourself on the glass.”  As she sprinted for the trash can and the paper towels, she barked over at Claudia, “What in the hell happened?”

As she ran to help Joanie with the mess she told her.  “I told her something that surprised her.  She dropped her wine bottle.”

I snapped out of my daze and crouched down to begin helping with the cleanup.  Joanie noticed I was dripping blood on the floor.  “You’re bleeding all over the place, Greer.  Can you step wide over this way?”  Joanie held out her hand and helped me step forward where the glass had already been cleared.  “We’ve got this, go clean yourself up.”

I ran into the bathroom so I wouldn’t drip blood on the carpet.  It only took me a few minutes to wrap up my hand and stop the bleeding.  When I made my way back into the living room, the mess in the kitchen was cleaned up.  Joanie and Claudia were seated on the couch so I lowered myself into the chair across from them.

Joanie had a look of concern on her face.  “Are you alright?  Do I need to take you to get stitches?”

“No, it’s fine.  The bleeding has almost stopped.”

“So what made you break the glass and drop the bottle?  The bottle was damn near full, was it too heavy?”  

“I’m afraid it’s my fault.” Claudia spoke up, “I told her that I suggested her services for a potential Presidential candidate.”

“Services?”  Joanie asked, eyeing each of us carefully, “What kind of services?”

“She wants me to be a pretend girlfriend for a candidate.”

“Huh?  A fake relationship like you see in books?” Claudia nodded, but to her credit, she did look embarrassed.  “So who’s the candidate?”

“I have no idea,” I spat out, “It’s confidential because of her big meeting.  Although since he ran out when you brought up my name I should at least get to know who it was.”

“Whoa.” Joanie leaned forward towards Claudia, “You told the candidate Greer was the perfect pretend girlfriend and he bolted?”  Claudia sheepishly nodded.  “Greer, there’s only one person I can think of that would have that sort of response to your name.”

Suddenly my eyebrows shot up.  Surely she wasn’t suggesting. “Claudia, please tell me that the subject of our lunch conversation was not the person you suggested I enter into a PR relationship with?”  When Claudia turned away from me, I lost it.  I jumped from the chair, walked straight into my room and slammed the door behind me.  The walls shook, but I didn’t even care.

As I sat on the edge of my bed, I began to realize I’d had the same aversion to the idea of dating Senator Evans as he'd had to dating me.  Great, I had something in common with him!  That was not a good sign as far as I was concerned.

~ * ~

I eventually fell asleep, but it was not a restful night’s sleep.  My mind kept repeating over and over the fact that I’d told Claudia about my tenuous relationship with the Senator yet she'd suggested we date.  It was irrelevant that it wasn’t for real.  It was a preposterous notion.  Finally giving up, I pulled the covers off, got out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom, not even bothering to check the time on the clock.  Since I hadn't slept, I knew I didn’t have to worry about being late for work.

After taking the time to get my hair and makeup just right, I exited my bedroom and found the apartment was still dark and quiet.  I glanced at my watch and realized it wasn’t even six yet.  I gathered my research notes that were still on the table from last evening.  I shoved everything down in my briefcase and wrote a brief note to Joanie and Claudia before leaving the apartment.  I just wanted them to know that I left for work early and not to worry about me.  I was still mad at Claudia but elected to leave that out of the note.

~ * ~

Some days I rode the Metro into work and some day I drove.  Today, I decided to drive.  I wasn’t in the mood to share my commute with other people crammed into a train car.  I wanted the solitude of my car.  Not only that, I was leaving early and that meant I would have time to stop at the little coffee shop on the edge of town that I always drive past.  Usually, I am cutting it too close on time and I never get the chance to stop.  Today, that wasn’t an issue.    

I decided to snag a high-top table in the front corner so I could drink my extra-shot white mocha with a shot of raspberry syrup and do a little work before going into the office.  I needed the extra shot of caffeine to wake me up and I figured I could make my to-do list and some notes for the day before I went into the office.  The coffee shop was still quiet so it was the perfect spot for reflection.  I took out my notebook and began writing.  My pen was gliding across the page, but I honestly had no clue what I was writing.  It was as if my hand and my pen had a mind of their own.

As I glanced down at my notes, I was horrified to realize they were all related to Senator Evans.  I’d detailed pros and cons for following through with Claudia’s idea.  This was ridiculous.  How had such a silly notion wormed its way into my subconscious?  I had identified more reasons to do it than not.  The only viable reason I could come up with for not doing it was the fact he didn’t like me.  But I had been serious when I told Claudia I respected Senator Evans and his position.  He did seem to be an honorable man, even if he was an ass to me on a regular basis.

I tried to push thoughts of him out of my mind and focus on the contract that I need to work on.  Unfortunately, since he was interwoven into that process, I wasn't able to push him completely out of my thoughts.  I looked around and noticed the coffee shop was beginning to fill up with the workday crowd.  It was ebbing closer to the time for me to actually head into the office.  I gathered my things and got in line to get a fresh cup of coffee to go.

~ * ~

Even with my stop for coffee and the morning traffic, I was still in the office at least thirty minutes before Joanie came in.  She put her purse on her desk, gathered her notebook and coffee cup and made her way into my office.  She closed my door and quietly took her seat across from my desk.  This wasn’t unusual, we traditionally started each morning with a brief meeting to cover the day’s calendar and event schedule.

She took a sip of her coffee, eyeing me carefully before speaking.  “Claudia knows you’re still mad at her, but she’d like you to call her.”  I nodded but didn’t look up from what I was writing.  “How’s your hand?  Do you need me to make you an appointment with a doctor to have it looked at?”

I dropped my pen and raised my eyes to meet Joanie’s.  “My hand is fine, thank you.  I know you’re trying to help and you’re caught in the middle, but I need time to get over this.  I’ll call Claudia a little later and we’ll hash it out.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t say anything, but don’t you think you’re overreacting just a bit?”

“No, I don’t.  How can you say that?  She offered me up to fake date a Senator just so he can run for President.  Wouldn’t it bother you if she had suggested you for the job?  It’s like she’s pimping me out.”

“Stop it, Greer.  I think she’s thinking of what a great opportunity it would be for you.  You’d be in the spotlight.  And don’t you think if you were dating a Presidential candidate that Preston would have to remove you from the lobbying team?  Wouldn’t it be a conflict of interest to have a potential First Lady being a lobbyist?”  Joanie could not hold back a smile.

As much as I hated to admit it, she might have a point.  However, I didn’t feel comfortable using Senator Evans to advance my career.  And I began to wonder if part of his issue was the idea of using someone to advance his as well.  

“Greer is the real issue that she offered you up for this sort of ruse or because she offered you up to Senator Evans?”

I didn’t know how to answer that question. Maybe I was angry at both, maybe I was angrier that it was Evans.  Hell, would I have been more open if it had been anyone else?  Before I could answer Joanie’s question, the private line on my desk began to ring.  I reached over and answered it.

“Look, I know you’re still mad at me, but I was hoping you might be willing to come to a meeting this morning.” Claudia was speaking fast as if she was afraid that I might hang up on her and she needed to get out what she needed to say before I did.

“What kind of meeting?”

Claudia let out a deep sigh.  “Last night, after he got home, Senator Evans reached out to Lance Bishop and apologized for storming out of the meeting.  He said he’d be willing to meet again and revisit the discussion regarding the relationship situation and the Presidential run.  We would like for you to join the meeting.”

I remained quiet and let her words sink in.  He was willing to consider it and she wanted me there.  What did this all mean?  “I’m assuming you want me there because if he agrees to move forward you want to finalize an agreement?”

“Greer, I know you don’t want to do this, but I wish you would consider it.  It could be mutually beneficial to the two of you and it should at least be worthy of a discussion.  The meeting is at the Senator’s home so we’d be out of the public view.  We’re meeting at ten and I can send a car for you if you are willing to attend.”

Part of me was screaming not to do this, but the other part was ready to give in.  I was curious and the idea that she said she could make it mutually beneficial was intriguing to me. “Fine, I’ll go to the meeting.  But understand I’m not making you any promises.”

“I’ll send a car to the office to pick you up around 9:30.”

“No, I’m heading home in a few minutes just send the vehicle to the apartment.” Without saying goodbye, I hung up the phone.  As I placed the handset on the cradle, I noticed that Joanie was eyeing me warily.  “What?”

“You’re going home?  And just who did you agree to meet with?”

“I’ve agreed to meet with Senator Evans.  Claudia said he apologized for storming out of the meeting last night and would like to revisit the discussion.  They want me there at the meeting.”  I turned my chair from Joanie and stared out the window behind my desk.  “I realize I’m an idiot. I’m more curious than anything and I just think I need to be there.  Besides what the worst thing that could happen?”

~ * ~

Joanie and I finished our meeting and she cleared my calendar for the remainder of the day.  I told her that if anyone was looking for me to tell them I was doing preliminary research on Briarwood.  It would provide cover for me to be out of the office and wouldn’t raise suspicions.  I then left the office and went home so I could change clothes.  

I had worn a very conservative navy blue suit to work with a fire red scarf.  It was a beautiful outfit and I received compliments on it each time I wore it.  However, fire red is the color of passion and it was not appropriate for my meeting with the Senator.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m passionate about my dignity and the desire to not be made a fool of.  But I did not want anyone to misread the color and think it meant I had a passion for the Senator.

I elected to change into a brown sleeveless dress with a linen white blazer and matching pumps.  This outfit gave the impression that I meant business.  There was no secret message in the color scheme yet I looked dignified.  I left my hair down, letting it cascade over my shoulders.  I had only worn a light dusting of makeup to work and I touched it up but did not go overboard.  I wanted a natural look and did not want to appear that I was trying to impress anyone in the meeting.  Besides, I knew that the meeting might get testy and I might get a little hot under the collar.  If I was wearing too much makeup, it might melt and I didn’t want to look too frightening.

I chose to wait for the car downstairs.  I knew if I gave Claudia an opportunity to come inside to get me, she would have the chance to criticize my clothes and tell me to change.  I wanted to minimize that risk.   To my surprise, when I stepped into the car, she complimented my outfit.  Neither of us said another word on the drive to the Senator’s home.  We were both biting our tongues, afraid of saying something that could lead to a fight and make this entire situation more awkward.

I stared out the window the entire drive but never comprehended where we were driving.  Suddenly, the car was coming to a stop and I realized we were in front of an elegant row of townhomes.  The driver came around and opened the door, allowing for us to step out of the backseat.  I looked up and noticed two gentlemen standing on the top step of one of the townhomes.  They were apparently waiting for us.  As Claudia gave instructions to the driver, one of the men descended the stairs and walked in my direction.

The man extended his hand to me and flashed a brilliant smile.  “You must be Ms. Hamilton.  I’m Lance Bishop from the Democratic National Committee.  It is a pleasure to meet you and I’m certainly glad you agreed to join us today.”

My bullshit meter was going off, but I said nothing.  These people were colleagues of Claudia’s and this meeting was important. While I was angry with her, I didn’t want to ruin her career.  I also didn’t want to end the day before it even got started.  Instead, I shook his hand and offered a polite greeting in return.    “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Bishop.”

“That gentleman up there,” he motioned to the top of the steps, “is Tucker Nash.  It will just be the four of us meeting with Senator Evans and his Chief-of-Staff.”


	13. Greer Hamilton

I had the weirdest vibes meeting Lance Bishop and Tucker Nash.  I couldn’t tell if they were genuine or if they were laying on the pleasantries a little thick.  But I’ll admit that after a few minutes with them it all seemed genuine.  Maybe I was just on high alert because I was beginning to second guess my decision to attend this meeting.  I think I was transferring the FUD factor for the Senator over to Lance and Tucker and judged them a little prematurely.  As we reached the top step, the front door opened and the familiar face of Patrick O’Neill was there to greet us.  

I'd had several conversations with Patrick in my attempts to meet with the Senator, in the past.  He’d always been cordial and polite. I’d never had the confrontations with him that I’d had with his boss.  Sometimes, it’s hard to believe they can be best friends when they’re polar opposites regarding personality.  

Patrick stood to the side, opening the door wider and welcoming us all into the house.  I made sure I was the last one to enter.  Patrick took that as the perfect opportunity to lean in and whisper into my ear, “I’m glad you joined us today, Greer.  I’ll warn you, though,  Chris is really dead set against this idea of an arranged relationship.”

I forced a smile back at Patrick.  “Good, that makes two of us.”

Patrick stepped away from me and directed everyone into the living room.  I couldn’t help but look around and noticed that, while the house was tastefully decorated the home was, it seemed to be void of life.  There were no vibrant colors.  No family photos.  No personal effects or accolades on the walls.  Hell, the Senator didn’t even have a dog or a cat.  For the briefest of moments, I felt sorry for him.  

As if on cue, Senator Evans walked in from the adjacent dining room to greet us. He was wearing black dress pants and a crisp white button down shirt that was rolled up at the sleeves to show off his forearms.  His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar and he was not wearing a tie.  This was the most ‘casually dressed’ I had ever seen him, and I had to admit he looked stunning.  It took a minute for me to remember to breathe.

“Good morning.  I’ve made coffee if anyone would like some.”  the Senator announced, immediately commanding the space as he entered the room.  

Patrick made a move toward the dining room. “I’ll get it and bring it in here.  Why don’t you all get situated and I’ll be right back.”

I was nervous and tried to stay back and blend into the scenery.  As everyone started to take seats, I moved to the far end of the couch.  As luck would have it, I sat at the opposite end of the room from where Senator Evans was seated.  

Patrick had just come back into the room as the Senator started to speak.  “First, let me apologize for my abrupt departure last evening.  The discussion of my marital status and the suggestion of an arranged relationship took me by surprise.  I’ll admit, I could have handled the situation better and maintained my composure.  So, I’m sorry.”  

Everyone in the room nodded and seemed to not only acknowledge, but accept his apology.  No one bothered to look my way.  With my presence, it was understood that I was aware I had been apart of the previous night’s  discussion.  However, it would have been nice for him to at least acknowledge that his outburst had had more to do with my name versus the suggestion as a whole.

Tucker Nash spoke up while reaching for a cup of coffee.  “We’re glad you decided to call us back and relieved you want to give this further consideration.  But we want to make one thing clear, Chris, we are maintaining our position that we put forward last night.  We want you to run because we think you have a legitimate shot at winning the nomination and ultimately the election.  But we want you to be in a relationship for the campaign.  It will broaden your appeal and make you appear as a solid candidate.  It will also force everyone to listen to your platform versus trying to pair you up socially and play off of you being a bachelor candidate.”

As Nash spoke, I watched the Senator for his reaction.  His nostrils flared, I could tell he was fighting to maintain his composure.  I guess the DNC figured they might as well go for broke early on.  I didn’t care for their strategy, but to an extent I understood it.  If this was going to be a definite no-go for the Senator, then why waste time discussing a platform and campaign strategy?

“I can’t help, but think it will look odd if I’m suddenly dating when I announce I’m running for President.  Don’t you think everyone will see through the charade?”

“Senator, if I may speak freely.  We have a plan we’d like to suggest.”  Claudia said as she sat up and pulled her shoulders back.  She was showing she was in control and not in the least bit phased by his position or the ridiculous nature of the conversation.  “We think it would be best for the ‘relationship’ to begin now.  We’re far enough out from the convention that we don’t need to announce your intention to run just yet.  This would allow for things to progress organically.  Leak information that you’re launching an exploratory committee for a potential candidacy and, all the while, you could be seen in public with your girlfriend.”

Claudia paused for effect and looked around the room to see if anyone had any objections.  When no one challenged what she was saying, she decided to move forward.  “We would allow an appropriate amount of time to pass, let the press ask questions about your exploration into running and build interest.  Then we make a formal announcement where you throw your hat in the ring.”

“I’m assuming my girlfriend would be at this announcement?”

Claudia’s posture relaxed, she crossed her legs and became more comfortable on the couch.  “Yes, she would be at the announcement, but not on the podium.  The spotlight should be on you and you alone.  However, since you would have been photographed with her previously, it will generate buzz that she was at the announcement.  No formal reference will be made to her at all during your speech, but her appearance will lead to questions on the campaign trail and in the debates.”

Senator Evans stood from his chair and stretched his six-foot-three frame to his full height.  He started to pace around the room and I could almost see the wheels turning in his head.  He said nothing, just walked from one end of the living room to the other.  All eyes in the room followed him.  On his next pass, he didn’t turn.  Instead, he walked in my direction and stopped in front of me.  I kept my eyes down, not wanting to make eye contact with him.  Even though I was not looking at him, I could feel my temperature rise and my face begin to flush.  It was safe to say that the man made me nervous.

Without preamble, he spoke, “I’m not convinced she’s the right person for this role.  Why exactly did you select her?”

Tucker Nash cleared his throat and spoke up in my defense.  “She’s smart, Chris.  Greer’s a lobbyist with credibility and key relationships with members of the House and Senate that will be beneficial as your campaign moves forward.  She will have the ability to help you get attention to your platform and issues and will be able to help you get things done.”

Lance Bishop once again reached for his coffee.  “Greer, I’ll apologize in advance for being blunt.  It doesn’t hurt your cause that she’s damn attractive, Chris.  The two of you make a striking couple and will easily be labeled as a modern day John and Jackie.”

If it was possible, I was blushing more than I had been five minutes earlier.  I didn’t expect to be called attractive and certainly did not anticipate being compared to Jackie Kennedy.  I didn’t think the comparison was warranted, but I could understand what they were trying to achieve.  I could tell the Senator had not taken his eyes off of me and he made no effort to move from in front of me.  It was fair to say I was starting to freak out.

I shifted my seat on the couch so that I would be able to look at Lance and Tucker.  “Gentlemen, maybe you could explain in detail what you have planned for this arranged relationship.  Regardless of who the woman is, maybe if you provide the Senator with an outline of your plan, it will help him feel more comfortable with the proposal.”  

I glanced over, catching Claudia’s attention and she immediately knew what I was trying to accomplish.  “That’s a great idea.”

Tucker took the reins and began to speak.  “Chris, our idea would be to match you with a woman who was willing to participate in this arrangement.  We’d ask you both to sign a non-disclosure agreement so that the details of the arrangement would never be made public.  We certainly don’t want this to ever come back and be a problem for either of you.”

Lance broke in to finish off the line of thought.  “During the campaign, you would date and appear at public functions as a couple.  You would give the appearance you are in a committed relationship that is heading toward marriage.  Around the time of the election, you would get engaged.  Keep in mind the timing is negotiable.”  Lance reached for his coffee cup and took a sip. Allowing the pause to let what he had said to sink in.  “Should you win the election, we will have a wedding at some point.  Should you lose, given the appropriate amount of time, you can split.  You can even blame the election and rigors of the campaign trail as the cause of the split.”

Patrick, who’d been quiet to that point, spoke up.  “You said this would be mutually beneficial.  I guess it benefits Chris because he gets the boost for the election.  But what’s in it for Greer?  Or the woman who’s selected?”

Tucker was enthusiastic to give his answer.  “This is a great opportunity for the woman we select.  She’ll become a household name and have an opportunity to work on a Presidential campaign.  She’ll have the ability to help deliver the message of the platform for the election and push for change.  Not only that, when you win the election, she’ll be the First Lady of the United States.   Of course, to help you get there, Chris, she’ll have to quit her job and devote all of her time to getting you elected.”

Tucker’s words struck a chord and it wasn’t a good one.  I tried to tamp down any anger that I was feeling and remain calm as I interrupted his commentary.  “Excuse me, you’re saying she has to give up her career to focus solely on getting the Senator elected?  What about her own career and what she’s giving up?  What about her own obligations?   You can’t expect her to just quit her job and still cover her rent, bills, and expenses can you?”  My voice was rising and I had a feeling I was dramatic, but the attitude here was awfully chauvinistic.  “How can you expect a woman to give up who she is for a man she isn’t in a real relationship with? I mean, you do realize that some women enjoy their careers and being independent, right?”

I noticed that Patrick was smiling at me.  Lance was as well and he leaned forward.  “I understand, Greer, and it would be a hell of a sacrifice we are asking from this woman.  That’s why we’d want someone who had passion and empathy and her own set of values.  One who had her own platform that was in line with the Senator’s so they could work together on issues.  In that spirit, she wouldn’t be giving up as much.”  He watched to see if I understood what he was saying.  I got it, he wanted someone who could be a partner for the Senator and not just arm candy.  Someone with an agenda of her own.  “As far as her obligations, we would help with that.  Part of the contract terms would be that the DNC would provide a stipend to cover her expenses.”

Before I could stop myself, the words came flying out of my mouth.  “So you’d make her a whore and the DNC would be her pimp?”

With those words the Senator let out a laugh.  Not just a snicker, but a full out belly laugh.  “Wow, don’t hold back your thoughts there, Hamilton.”

Maybe my comments were out of line, but I’d had enough.  I stood up and faced off with Senator Evans while I knew everyone in the room held their breath.  “Listen to me carefully.  I’m not sure if you’ve ever understood this or not, but my last name has a history and a legacy behind it.  On principle alone, I would not allow myself to be diminished to the ranks of a whore for the DNC just to get someone like you elected to the highest office in the land.  I have too much self-respect and I value the office of the President too damn much.”

I turned, Lance and Tucker were staring at me with their mouths and eyes wide open.  I looked at Claudia and unleashed my tirade on her.  “If you picked me because of my family name and because you thought it would help Evans, so help me I’m done with you.  He hates me for some reason and I told you that, but you still brought my name up for this ridiculous plan.  It was a mistake for me to come here and I’m over this entire scenario.”  I started to walk out of the room but turned around for a parting shot.  “The sad thing is, I would have been a good candidate for this.  I’m smart and I can hold my own.  If Evans had ever given me the time of day instead of discounting me as a brainless lobbyist, he might have realized that.  Good luck finding someone to put up with him.  God knows I’ll have enough of a time dealing with him on the Hill.”

I had my hand on the doorknob when Claudia ran into the hallway.  “Greer, you can’t just leave, you rode here with me.”

“I can and I will.  I’ve got two feet, Claudia.”  I didn't turn around and I didn't slam the door.  Instead, I let the door softly click behind me as I exited and walked down the front steps.  I didn't let the tears fall even though they were threatening.  It’s not that I was going to cry because I was upset.  No, the tears were because I was angry with myself for letting all of this get to me.  

I had been on board with what Lance had said.  But my mouth had let the words ‘whore’ and ‘pimp’ come out and then when Evans laughed, I hadn't been able to control my anger.  I went from being a heartbeat away from agreeing to date Senator Chris Evans to having a freak out in his living room and practically telling him to fuck off.  

~ * ~

I’d walked several blocks when I took a detour and settled on a bench in a small park.  My feet were killing me and I had no idea where I was or if I was even walking in the right direction to go home.  I would have pulled out my phone and seen about calling an Uber or Lyft for a ride, but, for now, I wanted to just have some time alone.  The argument in the living room of the Senator’s house had gotten out of hand.  

The proposition, as Lance and Tucker described it, wasn’t a bad one.  The idea of helping the campaign of a Presidential candidate you believed in was intriguing.  Being able to help while you played the part of his girlfriend so it would make him look better was not that horrible of an idea.  Sure, it was deceptive and unethical, but potentially, if the two parties could get along and make it believable, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.  I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with the man, but maybe we could at least be friends instead of enemies.  

I was a strong enough woman to admit that Senator Evans was attractive.  Hell, who was I kidding?  He’s gorgeous.  I’d never admitted to anyone that I feel that way or that I loved to listen to him speak.  He had a rich timbre to his voice and, while he didn’t have a strong Bostonian accent, it would come out from time to time.  For all of the charm I could find in the man, he had a major fault – his ego!  He was so damn full of himself and it drove me crazy.   

I had no idea how long I had been sitting in the park as I didn’t look at my watch or my phone.  I felt someone sit on the bench beside me, but I didn’t turn to see who it was.  I figured it was someone from the house that had come out looking for me.  I guessed they wanted to make sure I didn't talk to anyone and spill the beans about what they were planning.  Ha, as if I’d want to admit to being a part of their convoluted plan anyway.  I said nothing and waited for the person who sat down to speak, instead.  Imagine my surprise when I realized it was the Senator himself.

“You know, Ms. Hightower is extremely worried about you.” His voice was low, but I could tell he was trying to be respectful and polite.  I didn't respond.  In fact, I didn't even acknowledge that he was sitting there.  “To be fair, we were all a little worried when you didn’t come back and you didn’t end up at your apartment right away.  She called your cell and you didn’t answer and your roommate hadn’t heard from you.  I think she’s afraid you’ve been kidnapped.”

“I just needed some time alone to think.  I’ll go home when I’m ready.” I turned my head to look at him and found he was staring straight ahead.  He was sitting close, but not too close.  He was wearing a pair of sunglasses and had slipped on a worn leather jacket over his dress shirt.  There was no denying that he was a handsome man.  “How did you find me?  Don’t tell me I’ve got a tracking device on me or something?”  

He let out a laugh, “No tracking device.  It was sheer luck.  I took one direction while Patrick, Lance, and Tucker went off in other directions.  Ms. Hightower is at the house in case you came back there.  I figured since you were wearing heels you wouldn’t walk too far.  I guessed that you’d stop in the park.”

I couldn’t hide the smile that began to creep across my lips.  The fact that he was giving careful consideration as to where I might be was endearing.  I wasn’t about to fall for and melt for the man, but I could at least appreciate that he was putting on a good act for the rest of the team.

“So, are you ready for me to walk you back to my house?  I think Ms. Hightower has the car waiting to drive you home.”

My smile quickly faded and I couldn’t help the sneer that replaced it.  “Don’t tell me that you think because you found me that I’ll just fall at your feet and let you drag me back to your place?  You’ve got some nerve, you know.”

He chuckled softly. “Of course I do.  You left, I found you, case closed.  Come on, Greer, pull on your big girl panties and come back to the house.”

He was trying to be funny, I knew this, but I was not in the mood for it.  He stood from the bench and I remained seated.  He had taken a few steps and when he realized I wasn’t falling in line, he turned back to face me.  That’s when things got a little more intense.

“Get up, Greer, and come back to the house.  You can’t sit out here and pout and you sure as hell can’t act all indignant about this situation when you’re behind it.” I exploded off of the park bench and attempted to get into his face.  Keep in mind that I am significantly shorter than the Senator and we literally can’t see eye-to-eye.  There was no mistaking the fact that I was angry.

“You think I have something to do with this?  You think this was all my idea?”  I threw my hands in the air in complete and utter disgust and began to pace away from him.  I then made a sharp turn and marched back to him.  “You listen to me, Senator.  You hate me for some stupid reason that I can’t really put my finger on so you have to be insane to think I would want to whore myself out to you.  In fact, I am offended that you would even suggest that!”

“You keep repeating that, but I’ve never said I hate you.” His voice was low and I almost didn’t hear him.

“What did you say?”

“I said I don’t hate you.  I may not be your biggest fan, but I wouldn’t use the word hate.”

“Oh, well that makes me feel so much better.” I scoffed, unable to hide my sarcasm.

“You know you don’t have to call me Senator all the time.  My first name is actually Chris.” He smiled and put his sunglasses up on top his head.  At that moment I could have sworn his eyes began to twinkle.  He was trying to break the mounting tension and keep our disagreement from becoming a spectacle.    

“No, I intend for this,” I said as I waved my hand between the two of us, “to remain professional at all times.  Therefore, you are Senator Evans and nothing more.”  I walked past him and pulled up the Uber app on my phone as I walked out of the gated area of the park and approached the curb.

“What are you doing?” He asked as he began to look over my shoulder.

“I’m scheduling an Uber and getting a ride home.  Our conversation is over.”

“What am I supposed to tell Claudia and the DNC when I go back to the house without you?”  He actually seemed somewhat confused and, for a brief moment, I felt sorry for him.

“Well, Senator, I don’t give a shit what you tell them.  Tell them you found me and you played superhero and saw me home safely or tell them you drowned me and threw me in the lake.  Whatever you want, it doesn’t matter to me.”

As my car pulled up to the curb, I opened the door and got in without saying anything else to Senator Evans.  While I wanted to go home and pretend that nothing had happened, I decided to do the honorable thing.  I texted Claudia to let her know the Senator had found me, but that I had ordered an Uber to go home.  The Senator would be coming back to his townhome alone.  I didn’t wait for her response.  Instead, I powered off my phone and enjoyed the remainder of my ride in silence.

 


	14. Senator Chris Evans

I had hoped sending a text message to apologize for my behavior would help to clear my conscience.  Thought it might help ease my mind and allow me to get some sleep.  I was wrong.  I tossed and turned all night.  My brain not shutting off and continuing to run through the absurdity of my walking out of a meeting with the DNC; a meeting where we had discussed my running for President.  Could I have been any more childish?  I think the only thing that saved my ass from public humiliation is the fact that I didn’t make a scene for the other patrons in the restaurant.  They only thought I was leaving my meeting.  They had no idea I was stomping away like a petulant child.  Thank goodness for that because I’m sure I would have been a headline for every tabloid newspaper and website right about now.

I tossed the covers back, deciding that, if I couldn't sleep, I might as well take a shower and get ready for the day.  I had just turned off the water when my phone began to vibrate across my bathroom counter.  I quickly tied a towel around my waist, not bothering to dry off and stepped toward the counter.  I could see on the screen that I had missed a call from Lance Bishop.  Evidently, he was eager to arrange our follow up meeting since it was just barely 6:00 am.  I quickly hit redial and waited for Lance to pick up the phone.

“I didn’t wake you did I, Senator?”

“No, you didn’t, Lance.  I was in the shower and I couldn’t get to the phone fast enough.  I see you’re starting the day early.  Trying to get me before I change my mind about a meeting?” I spat out the words with a laugh to keep it light, but I couldn't help that there is a bite to my words.

“Well, to be honest, that thought did cross my mind.  Look, Senator, I know that we caught you off guard last night and we’d like to finish talking to you about our ideas.  Tucker and I have some time and thought you might want to do a breakfast meeting?”  

I could tell that Lance was trying to be conciliatory.  I could do the same.  “Let me check with Patrick to see what my calendar looks like for today.  I’ll call you back in about fifteen minutes.”

Lance agreed and we quickly ended the call.  While I could give in and meet with them, the idea of assembling in a public location had lost its luster.  We had done that last night and I just didn’t feel like doing that again today.  Especially since emotions would be running high.  It would be enough to hold my composure with the two of them, I didn’t want to worry about the eyes in the restaurant being on us.  It's times like this that I wonder why I even bothered to go into politics.  

I dialed Patrick’s number.  I wasn’t worried about waking him, he was probably in the office already.  His chipper tone, when answering the phone, confirmed that for me.   “Don’t tell me you’re calling in sick today?” he chided.  “You’re late which means you have some sort of hair-brained excuse for not being here.”

I let out a laugh. “No, I’m not calling in sick. Bishop wants to meet this morning.  What’s on the calendar? Is there anything we can skip or move around?”

I could hear Patrick flipping through the pages of his binder.  “It’s your lucky day!  Nothing on the books, it’s just an in-office day for you.  For the record, you’re also clear tomorrow, just in case.”

“I don’t want this going past today, Patrick.  I want to have this meeting and make a decision.” I ran fingers through my damp hair.  “I want this meeting off the radar.  Tell the office staff I’m working from home and then head over here.  I’ll tell Bishop to just come here instead of going out in public.”  

I disconnected the call without giving Patrick an opportunity to respond or argue.  I knew he would argue because I never had meetings or events at the house.  It was a deal I had made with Bitsy when we moved in.  This was our place to get away from everything and I kept it completely separate from my work life.  Before calling Lance back, I quickly dried off and got dressed.  

I called Lance back and launched into my speech before he even had an opportunity to say hello.  “Good news, I was able to clear my calendar.  I have a few things I need to do this morning, so breakfast isn’t going to work.  But we can meet at 10:30 if that will be acceptable to you and Tucker.  However, I’d rather meet at my house so we aren’t on display.”

I was met with silence and I began to wonder if Lance had even answered the phone or if someone else had heard my spiel and just hadn’t had a chance to tell me that Lance wasn’t available.  Finally, I heard him take a deep breath and realized he was most likely strategizing his response.  “That’ll work for us, Senator.  Text me your address and I will inform Tucker and Claudia of the time and location.  We’ll see you at 10:30.”

“Great, I’ll text you the address when we hang up.  If you need anything before the meeting, call Patrick and he’ll assist.”  

I disconnected the call and immediately texted Lance my address.  He said Claudia would be coming, but I couldn’t help but wonder if they would bring Greer.  I should have asked.  However, I think I was afraid of the answer.  I was scared he’d say she’s coming, but equally scared he’d say she wasn’t.

~ * ~

I was standing at the island in the kitchen, drinking my fourth cup of coffee and reading The Washington Post when the front door opened.  I knew it was Patrick because he never knocked and always let himself in.  We had a rule, if he opened the door and the alarm was set, he was to turn around and leave.  It would tip him off that I had a guest in the house and didn’t want to be disturbed.  Although, we never had to worry about that situation as I never brought women home.  Hell, I never went out to put myself in the position to consider bringing a woman home.  

Patrick waltzed into the kitchen with a huge smile on his face.  He was probably thrilled that I was going to have this meeting with Lance and Tucker because he knew it meant I was considering the girlfriend clause.  He was the one who'd told me to have an open mind and give this serious consideration, so I was.  But I could tell that he was going to do all he could today to push my buttons.  I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face and I knew that,  if he pushed too many buttons, we might come to blows over it.  

Just as I expected, he started in the minute he took a seat at the island across from me.  “So, you actually are giving the idea of dating Greer some serious consideration?”  I ignored him and looked back at the newspaper. “Come on, Chris.  Talk to me about this.  What made you change your mind?”

I stepped away from the island and began to pace.  With the amount of coffee I had running through my veins, I felt like a big cat trapped in a cage.  I stopped pacing for just a second and scowled at Patrick.  He grinned back at me.  Motherfucker.  He was actually enjoying this more than I could have imagined.  

“I stand by my original assessment.  I think the issue between the two of you is pent up sexual frustration.  At least kiss her and see if it does anything to cure the issue between the two of you.”  He was trying to remain stoic, but I could see his lip beginning to curl.

There was no way I could argue with him.  He was wrong, but if I told him that he would say I was just denying my feelings.  If I fought too hard, he would say I was arguing too much and there was something to be said about that.  I was in a no-win situation and I knew it.  The problem was, so did he and that put him in the driver’s seat on this.

“I bet they bring her today.  You prepared for that, Chris?”  Patrick was trying to push every single button I had to get a response out of me.  While it should piss me off, I was beginning to think there was another reason behind it.  If I had an outburst now, it was likely that I wouldn't have one when they’re here.  But I wasn't taking his bait now and I wouldn't take any bait later.  “I sure do wish I could have been a fly on the wall when she found out about the proposition.  I would have loved to see her face.  Do you think she was as repulsed by the idea of dating you as you were of dating her?”

I had stepped back to the island and tried to go back to concentrating on the newspaper.  But it wasn’t helping, I couldn’t hold back any longer.  I raised my eyes to his and he could tell I wasn’t playing.  “Can we cut the crap?  I don’t want to do this right now, Patrick.”  I knew he was trying to keep things light and was trying to be funny but I wasn’t feeling it.  “I agree to listen to what they have to say.  I’m curious as to how they think this plan will work.  I’ll do as you asked and keep an open mind, but I’m not convinced that Greer Hamilton is the right candidate for this plan.”

Patrick shook his head and raised his hands to show he was backing off.  If he’d kept pushing, there was no doubt we would have been at each other’s throats by the time Lance’s contingency showed up.  I folded the paper and got my briefcase.  I wanted to get through some Congressional business and get in the right frame of mind.  I needed to do something to keep my mind from obsessing over what could transpire in the next few hours and how I would handle seeing and discussing one Greer Hamilton.

~ * ~

I was on the phone with Senator Andrews.  She had called to discuss a bill she was taking to committee and wanted my opinion.  As a Senator from the opposing party, she wanted to see what kind of fight she might have on her hands and if she had an ally.  While we were talking, I noticed Patrick stand and walk toward the front of the house.  He returned a minute later and mouthed “they’re here.”  My pulse started to quicken and I started to feel a little nauseous.  

While I continued my conversation with Adeline, I fussed with the coffee maker so I could start a fresh pot.  I knew I didn’t need any more caffeine, I was on the verge of an overdose, but I was trying to keep myself busy.  Patrick came back into the kitchen and with a hoarse whisper said, “It’s just Lance and Tucker.  Looks like they are waiting for Claudia before they knock on the door.”

I nodded to let him know I heard him.  It was then that I realized the phone was quiet.  I pulled it away from my ear to see if Adeline had disconnected the call but we were still connected.  “Adeline, are you still there?”

“Yes, I’m here.  I could hear Patrick talking to you and I know you can’t pay attention to two of us at the same time.  What’s going on?  Anything you want to talk about?”

I sighed heavily.  Oh, how I wanted to talk to her about this.  While my parents were alive, and they would be the logical choice to discuss this insane plot, Adeline Andrews was unbiased and could give me a view of the situation that my parents couldn’t.  Plus, she knows Greer.  That was an entirely different level of insight that my parents could never offer.  

“I want to, but I’ve got a meeting that is about to start and I don’t have time to go through it right now.  I could use your opinion though.  I’ll give you a call later if you don’t mind.  For the record, it’s personal not business related.”

Adeline let out a laugh. “Sweetheart, I figured that.  If I were a betting woman, I’d say this conversation you want to have has to do with a woman.”

“I’ll call you later.” I disconnected the call without responding to her comment.  As I continued to move around the kitchen, Patrick came back and leaned against the entryway.

“You’re going to mess up your shirt if you’re not careful,” he scolded.  “For the record, you look too formal.  Take off your tie and unbutton the top button on your shirt.”

I stopped what I was doing and stared over at him.  “Shut up! Why in the world would I want to look casual for a meeting like this?”

“Well, they are coming to your house and maybe it would be nice to show you don’t have a stick up your ass all the time.  You’re always so serious, Chris.  I get it, you have an important job and you have a lot of people to consider when you make a decision.  But loosen up a little.”

I just stared at him.  He’d never told me I was too serious before.  For once, I was flustered.  I didn’t know what to say, so I just came at him with the first thing I could think of.  “Are you just gonna stand here and argue with me or are you going to open the door for our guests?”

“I’ll open the door, but I’m waiting for the girls to arrive.  Trying to be all gallant and proper.”  Patrick turned so that he could look out from the dining room into the living room.  From that vantage point, he could see through the large plate glass window onto the street.

I couldn’t hold back my laughter. I don’t know who he thought he was fooling.  But before I could snap back at him, I heard his breath hitch and he let out a low and breathy, “Wow!”

“What’s going on?”  I wasn’t about to join him and risk being seen.  However, I wanted to know what he was looking at.  He didn’t answer me.  He was inclined to ignore me.  He pushed off the entryway and started walking towards the front door.  It was less than a minute later when I heard the front door open.  

From my place in the kitchen, I could only hear muffled voices.  I was trying to stay back and out of view which also meant I was out of earshot.   I was waiting until everyone was settled in the living room before stepping out to greet them.  I tried telling myself it was because I was doing this on my own terms.  But deep down, I knew it was because I was steeling myself for what I was going to find.  Hearing Patrick gasp cemented one truth for me, Greer Hamilton was here and I wasn’t sure I was ready to face her.

I removed my tie and unbuttoned my top button like Patrick suggested.  It felt weird to be unbuttoned, but I figured I’d at least try for the casual vibe.  I had just finished rolling up my sleeves when I stepped into the living room. I looked up and it felt like all of the oxygen had immediately been sucked out of the room.  All eyes were on me and I knew I had to divert my attention.  To quickly cover, I stuttered out something about the fact I had made coffee.  

Without being too obvious about it, I stole a glance at Greer.  She was in a simple dress and jacket, nothing fancy, but she wore it so well.  I don’t think I’d ever paid much attention to her body before and, now, I couldn’t look away.  Her hair was loose, unlike most of the time when I saw her and she had it in an updo of some sort.  I think Patrick realized I was staring and was afraid it might get awkward.  So he drew attention to himself and offered to bring in the coffee for us while everyone got settled.  I’d have to thank him for that later.  

I took a deep breath, I couldn’t lose control.  I needed to be in charge and pulled together; I couldn't show fear of any kind.  Especially not in the face of the enemy.  Right now, I had to consider that everyone in this room was my enemy.  If this meeting didn't go well, Claudia could ruin me.  She was in media and public relations and what she’d witnessed these last two days would be ammunition that she could use against me.  I definitely didn't want Tucker and Lance as enemies; they could ruin me on an entirely different level.  Suddenly, I could feel my body temperature rise and knew I’d be sweating in a minute.  Suddenly, I remembered that old commercial, never let them see you sweat.  Crap, this was going to be a long day.

As I sat down and glanced around the room, I realized Greer was seated at the opposite end of the room from where I was seated.  I took this to mean she wasn't overly excited about being here.  I decided not to dwell on that and instead cleared my throat to speak.  “First, let me apologize for my abrupt departure last evening.  The discussion of my marital status and suggestion of an arranged relationship took me by surprise.  I’ll admit, I could have handled the situation better and maintained my composure.  So, I’m sorry.”

Patrick had impeccable timing.  He walked into the room at the end of my apology and set the tray with the coffee carafe and mugs down on the table in front of me.  I purposely avoided looking in Greer’s direction.  I did notice, however, that Tucker Nash was watching me closely.  I had a feeling he wasn’t buying what I was selling at the moment.  The joke was on him, I wasn't selling anything.  For once I was sincere.  I was legitimately sorry for walking out like I did last night.  If only because it was unprofessional and it had made me look like a complete horse's ass.  I admit I have a temper and there are times I let it get the best of me.  Last night was one of those times and, if I hadn't shown remorse and atone for the crap I had pulled, it could hurt my political future.  It didn’t matter if I ran for President or not.  My actions could hurt me in future reelection campaigns and I needed to take that into consideration.  My apology was rooted in protecting my political reputation.  

As Tucker reached for a cup of coffee, he spoke.  But to my surprise, he didn’t chastise me for my actions.  Instead, he made it clear they were not going to back down from their position.  They wanted me to run for President and they thought my best shot at winning was to run as a candidate who was in a relationship.  He was adamant that it would give me broader appeal and make me a more solid candidate.  I don’t know if I believed that, but I do know he has a valid point about my bachelor status getting the wrong kind of attention.

On more than one occasion, I’d been approached to take part in one of those yearly magazine lists.  The one for beautiful people or most eligible bachelors.  I’ve always politely refused.  While it would have brought some attention to the causes I like to fight for, it was also a moniker that never left you.  I didn't want to be known strictly because someone thought I was attractive.  I have a much broader agenda and work with issues that are more important than how pretty someone was on the outside.  

I just couldn't get past the idea, though,  that people would see through this farce.  How did they seriously think they could set me up with someone and have it not look contrived?  I mean, some of what he was blabbering on about made complete sense.  But I couldn’t rationalize all of it.  When I couldn’t hold my tongue any longer, I said, “I can’t help but think it will look off if I’m suddenly dating when I announce I’m running for President.  Don’t you think everyone will see through the charade?”

I figured I was making a valid point.  I had not dated or even been seen with a woman socially since Bitsy had died.  I had never even considered dating.  Don’t misunderstand, I have a healthy appreciation for beautiful women and I’m fine with admiring them from afar, but in my heart, I was still married.  Sure, it sounds sappy and romantic and all of those cliches but it was true.  I'd had a connection with Bitsy and I was convinced that I’d never find that with anyone else.  Patrick has told me I’m insane.  And that it was highly probable there was a woman out there who was the ideal woman for me, but I was wasting away pining over my dead wife.  Of course, it seemed so weird to hear him say those things when said wife was his sister.

Patrick had told me when I'd started dating his sister that, while we'd seemed like the perfect couple, he hadn't thought we were.  He'd always thought we loved one another, but that there was just some spark that was missing between the two of us.  He said he couldn’t quantify it but he'd just felt it.  Patrick had only shared his feelings with me.  Bitsy never knew of Patrick’s concerns - not while we were dating, not before we got married, and obviously not before she died.

While I was getting lost in my memories, Claudia Hightower asked if she could speak.  The woman was bright and articulate and which left me trying to determine if she was fighting for the overall concept or if there was something else I was not seeing.  She started talking about having the relationship grow organically.  How Greer and myself would need to be seen around town well before any type of announcement is made.  Her thought was that if it looks natural it wouldn't be a shock to hear that I was dating.   So, in other words, we would need to put on a dog and pony show.  

I asked the presumptive question, “I’m assuming my girlfriend would be at this announcement?”  I was referring to the announcement about my run for President.

Claudia nodded and confirmed the girlfriend's presence at the announcement, but not on the podium.  The plan would be for her to be seen at such a high profile event and for the chatter to increase.  If I’d been seen around town with her and then she was at the announcement of my candidacy, it would garner more attention and people would talk. While it was unspoken, I assume they believe if I was a topic of political talk and gossip it was not a bad thing.  Everyone knows there’s no such thing as bad press.

What they were all missing was how uncomfortable that would be for me.  I don’t want to be the center of attention and I was sure the woman that they roped into playing this role wasn't looking for it either.  Because if she was, then she was definitely not the right person for me to be involved with.  Fake relationship or not.  

I started to fidget.  My legs had gone numb and I needed to get up and walk.  As I stood, I tried to reconcile everything that was being said versus what I had built up in my mind going into this meeting.  As much as I would hate to admit it, they had a solid plan and what they were suggesting made sense.  By not forcing the situation and letting it evolve, it would seem more natural and would not set off alarm bells as being a manufactured romance.  I begin to pace behind the two accent chairs; going from the hallway to the outer wall and back.  With each pass toward the outer wall, I would take an opportunity to look at Greer.  She had done all she could to blend into the background today and had not uttered a sound.  The thing was, I wanted to know what was going through her mind. 

I figured the best way to find out was to pull her directly into the conversation.  I moved around the chairs and walked directly to where she was seated on the couch.  I stopped in front of her.  I was not close enough for her to kick me or bump into me when she stood.  But I was close enough that she’d have to crane her head to look me in the eyes.  I decided to do what I did best when I was in the presence of Greer Hamilton, I became confrontational.  Looking down at her, I said  “I’m not convinced she’s the right person for this role.  Why exactly did you select her?”


	15. Senator Chris Evans

In the recesses of my mind, I know why Greer Hamilton would be a good choice as my partner for this charade.  That doesn’t mean I have to readily accept them.  It also doesn’t mean that I should just accept the suggestion of the people sitting in my living room without providing some sort of pushback.  Besides, I already had a reputation on the Hill for being an ass.  I might as well live up to it.  I wouldn’t want to disappoint anyone in the room after all.

I figured my blatant questioning of why she was being considered would light a fire under her.  I thought she’d tilt her head and give me an icy stare before ripping into me.  To be honest, I was kind of looking forward to it, but she didn’t do it.  She didn’t move.  

My head turned as Tucker Nash spoke up to defend her.  He pointed out that she was an excellent lobbyist with key relationships and would be beneficial to the campaign.  He wasn’t wrong.  Greer Hamilton was a smart, educated woman who could hold her own.  I’d seen first hand how people are drawn to her and how she could work a room.  But they were missing that critical piece – the two of us were not on the same political wavelength.  Having a bipartisan relationship wasn’t going to get me elected.  Before I could interject and give my opinion on that, Luke Bishop decided to weigh in.

Where Tucker made his argument on Greer’s intelligence.  Lance made his regarding her physical appearance.  He pointed out the obvious, Greer was an attractive woman and she would be one hell of a compliment on my arm.  He went there again saying we would be a modern day John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy.  While that was a nice thought, it wouldn’t fit.

Greer was refined and beautiful and, don’t get me wrong, she would easily pull off a Jackie-esque role.  However, I was not a philandering husband who ignored the best thing I had at home for a secret tryst.  I hadn't done it when I was married for real and I was sure in the hell not doing it in a fake relationship.  And for another thing, I was not nearly as brilliant a political mind as Kennedy was.

When I looked back at Greer, it appeared as if she was blushing.  Really?  Did she not know she was a beautiful and smart woman? I get it, I have been less than friendly to her on a regular basis but I can appreciate the fact that she was stunning.  She really was the perfect woman.  I mean, if your perfect woman was a brunette, opinionated Republican with perfect curves and a saucy attitude.

For a minute, I was afraid she could read my thoughts.  She started to shift in her seat and appeared to be uncomfortable.  Of course, Lance was piling on the compliments and I was standing there staring at her.  I guess that could start to make any woman uncomfortable.  I realized she was actually turning so she could face Lance and Tucker and doing her best to avoid me.

When she spoke her voice was low and breathy.  “Gentlemen, maybe you could explain in detail what you have planned for this arranged relationship.  Regardless of who the woman is, maybe if you provide the Senator with an outline of your plan, it will help him feel more comfortable with the proposal.”  

I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.   I heard Tucker clear his throat and spout off something about finding a compatible woman and signing an NDA.  I really wasn’t listening to him as he prattled on about this detail and that.  I probably should have been paying attention as it would certainly bite me in the ass later. But at this point, I didn’t care anymore.

I’m not sure what I had expected for this meeting, but it wasn’t quite this.  I guess I anticipated a formal meeting with discussion points and maybe even a presentation of some sort.  Hell, I wasn't  even sitting any longer.  I was standing over the woman they want to set me up with and I couldn't even see her face to read her emotions.  While her voice was breathy, I don’t think she was trying to be sexy.  I got the feeling that she was struggling to get air into her lungs.

I nodded my head and tried to give off the impression I was paying attention.  Patrick ended up speaking up and I tuned him out as well.  I finally relaxed my stance a little.  If I was honest with myself, I could do this and I could probably do this with Greer.  I mean, what harm was a lunch or dinner here or there?  They didn’t ask me to show PDA and didn’t tell me I had to sleep with her.  So, from where I stood, it wasn’t that scandalous and it certainly wasn’t illicit.  Imagine my surprise when I noticed Greer’s hands beginning to fist and she looked like she was ready to punch someone.

Words were exchanged and when I finally tuned back into the conversation, I heard things beginning to escalate.  Suddenly, Greer blurted out, “So you’d make her a whore and the DNC would be her pimp?”

I was shocked to hear her comments and actually laughed at the thought.  I’d never even considered that this would make a woman feel like a whore.  This wasn’t about sexual favors.  Hell, I’d want there to be no sex involved at all.  If I ended up agreeing to do this, it was all going to be for show.  When there was a crowd, I could pretend.  But when the cameras were gone and the constituents weren’t around, we would have separate corners and bedrooms.  “Wow, don’t hold back your thoughts there, Hamilton.”

Suddenly Greer was standing up and squaring off against me.  Evidently, my comment had sent her over the edge.  “Listen to me carefully.  I’m not sure if you’ve ever understood this or not but my last name has a history and a legacy behind it.  On principle alone, I would not allow myself to be diminished to the ranks of a whore for the DNC just to get someone like you elected to the highest office in the land.  I have too much self-respect and I value the office of the President too damn much.”

I had not expected that.  My mouth was wide open and I couldn’t even begin to form a response. It’s a good thing, too.  She wasn’t done and I knew better than to interrupt a woman on the warpath.  She turned to face Lance and Tucker and began to unload on them.  

“If you picked me because of my family name because you thought it would help Evans, so help me I’m done with you.”  She then turned to look at Claudia Hightower.  “He hates me for some reason and I told you that but you still brought my name up for this ridiculous plan.  It was a mistake for me to come here and I’m over this entire scenario.”  She started walking out of the room but turned for a final parting shot.  “The sad thing is, I would have been a good candidate for this.  I’m smart and I can hold my own.  If Evans had ever given me the time of day instead of discounting me as a brainless lobbyist, he might have realized that.  Good luck finding someone to put up with him.  God knows I’ll have enough of a time dealing with him on the Hill.”

I turned from the couch – yeah, I had never moved from where I had been facing her initially. Claudia took off after Greer in an attempt to smooth things over.  I looked at Patrick, Tucker, and Lance and realized we were all a little shell shocked.  A moment or two passed and then we could hear the sounds of Greer and Claudia arguing in the hall.  The next thing I know, the front door clicked shut and Claudia was walking back into the living room alone.

I moved back to my chair and took a seat.  I rested my elbows on my knees and looked over at Claudia who had taken her seat.  “Do you want to explain to me what in the hell just  happened?”

“I wish I could.”

“I guess she is a no for this relationship setup.”  Tucker chuckled as he sat back in his seat and ran his hand through his hair.  “That girl has some spit and vinegar to her.  Tell me, Claudia, how well did she take it when you told her this plan last night?”

“She took it about as well as the Senator.  Although, before she stormed off, she dropped a bottle of wine and crushed a wine glass in her hand.  She’s got a nice cut on her palm from the glass shards.”

Lance looked over at Claudia and then back at me.  “Why don’t you like her, Chris?”

“Actually, I think she said he hated her,” Patrick added in.  

“I don’t hate her.  She’s a smart woman, but she’s politically opposite of me and we just clash.”

Claudia’s lips curled upward.  “You base everything on your belief that’s she a Republican?”  She waited to see if I would respond, but I didn’t take her bait.  She turned back to Lance. “If he can’t be bipartisan in a relationship then the country would have no hope with him working with the other side of the aisle to get legislation done.  Maybe it isn’t the girlfriend selection that’s the problem – maybe he’s the wrong candidate.”

“Now hold on a minute,” I interjected.  I could feel my blood pressure starting to rise.  “I never said a thing about not being able to work with Republicans.  I do it all the time on the Hill and we get shit done.  So don’t give me that.”

“Fine, but you just said the reason you don’t like Greer is due to her politics.  Have you ever taken the time to get to know her?  Ever bothered to find out anything about her?”  Claudia’s eyes narrowed as she tossed her words at me.  I could almost feel the venom dripping from every word spoken.  When I didn’t immediately answer she just laughed and said, “I didn’t think so.”

There was an awkward silence that hung in the air.  Patrick finally broke in and asked, “Is anyone going after her?”

There was no response to his question.  He threw his arms in the air and watched as Claudia furiously texted.  A moment or two passed and she finally looked up and addressed us.

“I’ve tried calling her number and it went straight to voicemail and she isn’t returning my text messages.  So, I’m reaching out to her assistant, who also happens to be her roommate, to see if she can have any luck reaching her.”

Once again the silence in the room was deafening.  Patrick huffed out, “That’s fine Claudia, but is anyone going to leave this house and go looking for her?”  His tone was increasing in frustration and volume.

“I’m sure she just wants to huff down the sidewalk,” Tucker chimed in.  “She’ll blow off a little steam and then come back in.  You know women, they like to huff out and make a big show of things.”  Tucker could feel everyone staring at him.  Claudia was visibly angered by his statements and did a great job of holding her tongue.  “Sorry, Claudia.  Present company excluded, of course.”

Lance leaned forward, elbows perched on his knees with his hands clasped in front of himself.  “Chris, are you serious when you say you don’t think Greer is right for this?  I mean you do see her regularly.  What are your true objections here and don’t tell me politics.”

“Look can we move off of Greer for a second?”  I wasn’t ready to talk about her in detail.  I wasn’t sure I could quantify my feelings enough to sound remotely intelligent anyway.  “Table the girlfriend experience for a minute and give me your outline for an all out campaign.  What is your timeline?”

Lance looked back over his shoulder at Tucker.  I could tell he was trying to determine what he should be saying.  He then turned back to face me.  “Chris, if you can’t get on board with the girlfriend clause of the agreement, there won’t be a campaign.”

I was being held hostage over the plan to date for the sake of public relations  Patrick wasn’t saying anything, but the look in his eyes told me he was pleading for me to just play along.  I knew that I should.  Deep down I knew that it was important for me to keep my mouth shut and just nod. But that’s not who I am.

I slapped my hands on my knees before rising up out of my chair.  “I need air.  This entire day has not gone like I had anticipated and I need to get out of here for a minute and think.”  I turned and looked directly and Patrick.  When I spoke, I wanted it to be known I was speaking to him, but I didn’t care that everyone was going to hear me.  “I’ll keep an eye out for Greer while I’m outside.  I trust you, hammer out any deal you think is proper regarding my running without the girlfriend clause.  I’ll come around on it, but I need to think and get some of the noise out of my brain.”

Patrick nodded and I headed for the door.  I grabbed my glasses and jacket from the hall closet and then opened the front door and stepped out.  Like Greer, I didn’t slam the door.  I didn’t need to put an exclamation point on my statement.  Everyone in that room knew where I was coming from.

~ * ~

I had taken a right outside my door and walked around several blocks.  I was about two blocks down from my house when I realized I was standing at the entrance to the small park.  I’d come to this park before, I was familiar with it.  I just didn’t realize I was this close to the house because I had been so lost in my own thoughts for the last few blocks.  Checking my watch, I realized I had been gone about forty-five minutes, but I wasn’t quite ready to go back into the house.  Greer had been gone more than an hour already.  I hadn’t seen her when I was walking, but I had been keeping my eyes open just in case.  

This park has a pond and a few ducks.  The pond isn’t large but it provides a nice spot to stop and think.  I figured I’d go in and sit and stare at the water and maybe an answer to my problems would appear.  Bitsy used to tell me that the answer to your questions would appear when you needed it.  She was into that sort of thing and I'd always dismissed her.  But as I walked toward the pond, I saw a woman sitting on the bench staring at the pond looking for her own answers.  As I stepped closer, I realized that woman was Greer.  Maybe Bitsy was right about these things after all.

She hadn’t heard me walking down the path.  Before I made any noise to tip her off to my presence, I moved to the side and leaned against a tree.  I crossed my arms across my chest and just watched.  Greer didn’t move.  There was a slight breeze and I could see it blowing her hair, but her body wasn’t moving.  She appeared to keep her eyes transfixed on the water.  I turned to see what she might be looking at but the water was still.  No movement at all.  

I reached into my coat pocket to grab my phone.  I wanted to silence the ringer before someone called me and tipped Greer off that I was nearby.  I had already missed a text.  It must have come through when I was walking and I just hadn't heard it chime.  Of course, it was Patrick wanting to know if I was coming back anytime soon.  He also said he had negotiated terms for me if I was interested.  I was interested, but not enough to turn and go back to the house without talking to Greer.  I quickly texted him back to let him know I’d be out a little longer.  

I moved quietly back to the path and over towards the bench where Greer was seated.  I didn’t say anything to her, I just sat down and looked out over the pond.  I waited a few minutes before I let her know that Claudia was worried about her.  I quickly covered that up by saying we were all worried about her location.  I didn’t want it to seem as if the men in the room had no feelings whatsoever.  

Greer told me she just wanted time alone and I could tell she had turned to look at me.  I didn’t make eye contact.  I wasn’t sure if I would lose my resolve if I had to look into her eyes.  

“How did you find me?  Don’t tell me I’ve got a tracking on me or something?”

I couldn’t contain my laughter at that thought.  “No tracking device.  It was sheer luck.  I took one direction while Patrick, Lance, and Tucker went off in other directions.  Ms. Hightower is at the house in case you came back there.  I figured since you were wearing heels you wouldn’t walk too far.  I took a guess that you’d stop in the park.”

I didn’t want to tell her that no one had left the house.  It was better for her to believe we were all worried and everyone was looking for her.  I realized I was sticking my neck on the line and telling her a lie; however, it was one that I felt I needed to tell to account for my appearance at her side.  

“So, are you ready for me to walk you back to my house?  I think Ms. Hightower has the car waiting to drive you home.”  I couldn’t help but smile as I looked at her.  Greer was captivating and trying her damnedest to not cave in.  Not that it was an indication she had any feelings for me.  I could just tell she was stubborn and not ready to concede her position just yet.  When she opened her mouth, I realized I was correct.

“Don’t tell me that you think because you found me that I’ll just fall at your feet and let you drag me back to your place?  You’ve got some nerve, you know?”

Wow, she had a fire in her belly.  I had barely spoken to her and she was still completely riled up from everything that happened in the house.  Her eyes were all lit up as she sassed back to me.  She had a flush of color creeping up her neck that I had never noticed before when she was angry.  There were a lot of things I was starting to notice and I was not sure if I was comfortable where it could lead.  So, instead, I tried to laugh it off and pretend I wasn’t being affected.

“Of course I do.  You left, I found you, case closed.  Come on, Greer, pull on your big girl panties and come back to the house.”  

I stood from the bench and had taken a few steps when I realized she wasn’t following me.  As I turned to face her, I realized she was still on the bench and she was not amused in the slightest at my attempt at humor.  If she already thought I was an ass and wasn’t going to see I was trying to make light of the situation, I figured I’d just continue down the path.  After all, she already had a disdain for me, I certainly couldn’t make it worse.

“Get up, Greer, and come back to the house.  You can’t sit out here and pout and you sure as hell can’t act all indignant when you’re behind it.”

Ok, I could make it worse!  She exploded off of the park bench and lunged at me.  She wanted to be in my face about it but she barely came to my chin in those high heels she was wearing.  I had to fight to suppress a smile – knowing she wanted to stand eye-to-eye and it just wasn’t going to happen.  I didn’t move, I didn’t want to scare her into thinking I would actually lay my hands on her.  So, I just stood there and waited.  It didn’t take long.

“You think I have something to do with this?  You think this was all my idea?”  She threw her hands up and began to march away from me.  She then turned back around and came back to me.  “You listen to me, Senator.  You hate me for some stupid reason that I can’t really put my finger on so you have to be insane to think I would want whore myself out to you.  In fact, I am offended that you would even suggest that!”

I took a step back and said, “You keep saying that, but I’ve never said I hate you.”  I didn’t yell at her.  In fact, my voice was calm and I tried to sound soothing.  I didn’t want to offend her and make it seem like I was talking down to her, but she had to know I didn’t want to fight.

Evidently, my voice was too calm and low because she immediately asked, “What did you say?”

I repeated myself to her that I had never said I hated her.  She scoffed and I could tell she didn’t believe me or was electing not to believe me.  I wasn’t sure how we once again got to the point of arguing and being in each other’s face.  It dawned on me that I had been calling her Greer, something I normally didn’t do.  I almost always referred to her as Hamilton or Ms. Hamilton.  But I liked the way her name rolled off my tongue.  However, she always stuck with calling me Senator.

“You know you don’t have to call me Senator all the time.  My first name is actually Chris.”  I removed my sunglasses and put them on top of my head.  I had decided if I was going to have this conversation, I wanted her to see my eyes.  I was hoping to convey that I was trying to change the temper of our discussion.  I didn’t want to yell or argue with her.  For once, I wanted to have a real conversation.

Her response was swift and I could tell that my efforts were futile.  “No, I intend for this,” she said as she waved her hand between the two of us, “to remain professional at all times.  Therefore, you are Senator Evans and nothing more.”

That hurt.  She walked past me and began heading out of the park and towards the curb.  I quickly followed her and noticed she was frantically working on her cell.  “What are you doing?”

She didn’t look up.  “I’m scheduling an Uber and getting a ride home.  Our conversation is over.”


	16. Senator Chris Evans

I had to hand it to Greer, she could put up a fight and shut down a conversation.  I watched as she scheduled her Uber and then slid her phone back into her purse.  She wouldn’t look at me.  Her gaze was fixed down the street on what I assumed was the direction her car would be coming from.

“What am I supposed to tell Claudia and the DNC when I go back to the house without you?”  It wasn’t that I was actually concerned, I just wanted to break the awkward silence that had fallen between the two of us.

“Well, Senator, I don’t give a shit what you tell them.  Tell them you found me and played superhero seeing to it I got home safely or tell them you drowned me and threw me in the lake.  Tell them whatever you want, it doesn’t matter to me.” Her tone was bitter.

I wanted to argue with her that it was a pond not a lake in the park, but I figured it was best to keep my mouth shut.  The car pulled up, a little Toyota Prius, and she opened the back door and got inside.  I could have been a gentleman and opened the door for her or even closed it.  But I had a feeling she wasn’t in the mood for chivalry of any type.

She was texting as she got in the car so I had to anticipate she let Claudia know she was safe.  She never looked at me as the car pulled away.  I put my hands in my pants pockets and watched as the tail lights sped down the street before I turned to head back to the house.  I quickened my pace and walked up just as Tucker and Lance were getting into their car to leave.

Patrick was standing in the doorway. “Claudia already left.  It’s just you and me, boss.”

I slowly walked up the steps and into the house.  I walked straight into the living room and over to the bar.  I didn’t bother with ice or to ask Patrick if he wanted one.  I just retrieved a glass from the cabinet and proceeded to fill it with whiskey.  I didn’t care how many fingers it was, I knew I would be downing the glass and reaching for more.

“Slow down, Chris.  You’re going to make yourself sick if you drink too much.”  Patrick plopped down into a chair and threw his legs over the arm.  He was obviously not worried about decorum but going for comfort.  “So, you found her and it didn’t go so well, eh?”

I had the glass halfway to my lips when I turned to glare at him.  “What makes you say that?”

“Well, Claudia got the text message from Greer saying you found her.  You are over there slamming whiskey and let’s not forget you came back here alone.  So, using my brilliant power of deduction, I sense that things didn’t go well between the two of you.  Where was she?”

I downed the glass, pouring another and pouring one for Patrick, too, this time.  I walked over and handed him his drink before depositing myself in the chair next to his.  “She was in the park down the street.  Just sitting on a park bench and staring at the pond. What did you guys agree to while I was gone?”

“No, not going there yet.  Tell me what happened that brought you home in such a fantastic mood.”

“My sarcasm and sense of humor were lost on her.  I told her I’d bring her back and she didn’t like that answer at all.  She got huffy and accused me of expecting her to just follow me because I’d found her.  Of course, I told her that was exactly what I’d expected and she needed to pull up her big girl panties and come on.”  I took a slow sip from my glass, not wanting to drain it because I had become comfortable and didn’t want to get back up.  “I think the kicker was when I accused her of orchestrating the entire girlfriend scenario.”

Patrick let out a loud belly laugh.  He was laughing so hard he started to hyperventilate.  I wasn’t about to help him.  The bastard shouldn’t have been laughing at me.  “Oh God, tell me you didn’t, Chris?  Fuck. No wonder you two were arguing.  You honestly believe she was behind this?”

“No,” I said, sheepishly. “I only said it to get a response from her and to get her off the park bench.  I think she restrained herself enough to keep from slapping me, so I appreciate that.”

“You’d have deserved it.  You heard Claudia say Greer dropped a bottle of wine and broke a glass when she found out she’d been nominated for this.  You have seriously lost your touch since Bitsy has been gone.”

~ * ~

After Patrick left, I tried desperately to bury myself in work for a couple hours.  I had several memos and other documents to read, but I had a hard time concentrating on any of it.  I wanted to blame the glasses of whiskey that I'd quickly downed when I'd returned home.  But I had to admit that it was more likely because I couldn’t quit thinking about Greer Hamilton and the fiasco in the park.

I was a little wobbly from the whiskey.  I wasn’t one to drink during the day so slamming those down was not the best idea I’d ever had.  I made my way up the stairs to my office but for some reason, I couldn’t concentrate.  When we moved into this house, Bitsy had designed the office.  Her signature touches were everywhere.  From the books on the bookshelf to the pillows on the couch and the accent chairs.  Typically, the idea of being surrounded by her while I worked from home never bothered me.  In fact, I always embraced being in the room and feeling as if she was close.  She made fun of me regularly that I only used three rooms in the house:  my office, the bedroom, and the bathroom.

The rush of emotions I was feeling most likely had to do with the entire crux of the meeting that I held downstairs earlier.  Finding a woman to replace Bitsy.  Sure, this would all be an act to get me elected.  I just couldn’t shake the feeling that it would mean I would have to forget my wife and what we had.  I began to sweat and knew that working in the office would not be in my best interest today.  Instead, I decided to push my own boundaries and elected to work from the kitchen table.

I’d lost track of time, I had no idea how long I’d been sitting there working.  I just know that I glanced out the windows and realized the sun was beginning to set.  I’d evidently worked through dinner and hadn’t even realized it.  I decided to take a break and fix something to eat.   Just as I stood and walked over to the pantry, I heard a faint sound at the front door.  It sounded like a knock, but I wasn’t sure.  So, I waited to see if the noise repeated itself.  When it did, I walked down the hall and noticed a silhouette on the porch – it looked like a woman.  I flipped the light switch to turn on the porch light.  I could now see a woman with her back to the door, watching the street as if she was contemplating making a run for it.  I knew before opening the door it was Greer Hamilton.

Although I was confused as to what she might want.  Surely she wasn’t here to yell at me again.  I took a deep breath, unlocking the front door before slowly opening it.  As I did, Greer turned to face me.  She looked, I’m not sure of the right word, embarrassed maybe.  Although, I’ve got no idea why she would be embarrassed.  She'd told me off and stood her ground.  Taking control of her own situation was not something to be embarrassed over.

I didn’t say anything to her.  Frankly, I was at a loss for words.  She had changed out of the dress from earlier and had on a pair of well-worn jeans and a light pink, long sleeve, v-neck t-shirt.  Her hair was still down and she was every bit as stunning as she had been when she stood in my living room, hours earlier.

“Hi.”She took a step forward.  Greer was seemingly tentative, I could sense she wanted to speak, but she didn't want to be forceful in any way.  “Is there a chance you might let me come in and talk to you for a few minutes?”  I saw her eyes widen as she took in my appearance; I still had my dress pants on, but my button-down shirt was no longer tucked in and I had an extra button undone at the collar.  “Oh, sorry, I’m not interrupting something am I?”

I couldn’t help the smile that began to inch across my face.  “No, I was working and to answer the lingering question, I’m alone.”  Greer let out a sigh as if that was a significant relief for her. “Come on in.”  I stepped to the side, holding the door opened to let her walk in the house.

As I shut the door and moved down the hall past her, I asked, “Do you want something to drink?  I’ve got wine, beer, and bottled water.”  I turned for her answer and she just shook her head.  I gestured toward the living room. “Do you want to have a seat?”

Greer silently walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch.  I took a seat opposite her in one of the accent chairs.  I didn’t want to sit too close, but I sure in the hell wasn’t going to sit on the opposite side of the room.  Her posture was straight and she kept her hands in lap.  Although, judging by the way her hands were fidgeting, I could tell she was nervous.

“I’m sorry for how I walked away from you at the park.”  She was looking right at me, her eyes piercing into my soul as she said the words.  “Actually, I was rude from the moment I saw you at the park until I got in the car and pulled away.  It’s been eating at me and I just felt I needed to apologize.”

I sat back in the chair and covered my face with my hands.  If this wasn’t so damn serious it could be almost comical.  I ran my hands down my face and sat up to look at Greer.  “It’s okay.  I tried to be funny and it went the wrong way.  It was nothing more than a miscommunication and us not knowing each other well enough for you to get my attempt at humor.”

Greer bowed her head gracefully and smiled.  I had to admit that she lit up the room when she did that.  It warmed my heart and, for the first time in a long time, other parts of me were stirring as well.  I leaned forward, resting my arms on my thighs and quietly cleared my throat.  “Is that the only reason you’re here?”

Her head was still bowed and she shook it softly.  “Tell me why you came all the way over here, Greer.  You could have quickly sent me an email or called me to apologize if that was what this was about.”

She raised her eyes to make direct contact with me, “Are you opposed to having a girlfriend to run for President?  Or are you just opposed to it being me?”

Now it was my turn to bow my head and break the eye contact.  She wanted to go straight for the heart on this one.  “Does it really matter?” I asked, quietly.

“Yes, Senator, it does.”  It hurt just a little that she was still referring to me at Senator.  I would have hoped that finding the courage to show up at my doorstep would have allowed her to at least use my first name.  “I’m not really sure what the issue is between us, but I’d like to clear it up – once and for all.”

I raised my head to look at her.  “Let me guess, you think I’d make an excellent candidate for President and you’re here to make sure I don’t throw away my shot.” My tone was sarcastic and probably harsher than it should have been.  But at least Greer smiled.

“No one knows I’m here and I’d like to keep it that way for now.  It’s fair to say that we have had our differences and today didn’t go the way either of us anticipated.  So, I sort of figured if we talked, just the two of us, maybe we could hash things out one way or another.”

As I watched Greer speak, I could tell she was sincere.  Her tone and her body language gave me the impression she wasn’t trying to play me or string me along in any way.  What could it hurt to have this conversation?  She'd taken a chance so why couldn't I do the same?

“Ok, fair enough.  But answer me this, do you think I should give into their demands and have a fake relationship?”

Greer let out a breath and sat back against the couch cushions.  “Yes, I totally agree with their strategy.”  She paused and I assume she was waiting for me to explode.  But I didn’t.  Instead, I just watched her and gave her the opportunity and freedom to say what she wanted.

“I get that it could be viewed as disingenuous and you’d have a fine line to follow.  But what you could do for the country as President, would outweigh the deception.  And you never know, you could end up developing feelings for the woman they put in the position and no one would ever be the wiser.”

“The woman they put in the position?  Are you saying you won’t do it?”  The way she spoke gave the impression that she was giving up on the charade before it even began. “I figured since you came for the meeting that you were on board with the entire plan.”

“Oh, I was until I realized they wanted me to whore myself out.” Greer slapped her hand over her mouth and I could tell she wished she could take those words back.  “I’m sorry, I guess I forgot to use my filter.”

I let out a slight chuckle. “It’s okay, I knew you felt that way earlier.  Although to be fair, I don’t think they intended to make you feel like a whore.  I know I never looked at it that way.”  Greer tilted her head slightly and looked at me with the unasked question in her eyes.  “Be realistic, Greer.  No matter who is being asked to play this role, this woman can’t keep up her regular job no matter how much she might want to.  For all her good intentions, her career will have to take a back seat and she’ll have to help me campaign to win the Presidency.  At the same time, she can’t put her life on hold, she’ll still have bills to pay and responsibilities that can’t just sit and wait for her to go back to work.”

“Exactly, so they pay me to be your escort.  Call girl, escort, whore – it’s semantics but it is all the same thing.”

I shook my head at her.  She was so hard headed.  “Could you not think of it as you are an actress and this is your role?  The DNC is paying you to play a part.  No one said you had to sleep with me and being a whore and a call girl insinuates that sex would be involved.”  Greer’s cheeks began to flush.

Silence fell over the room.  It was true, no one had ever mentioned sex as part of the deal.  And it wouldn’t be. I had no intention of actually falling in love with or bedding the woman who would take on this part.  Even if it was Greer.  I would be focused on winning the election.  Once I became President, well keeping the country safe and dealing with the pressures of job would keep me busy, I’d have no time for a relationship.

Greer broke the silence; however, her voice was low as she asked her question.  “Can I ask why you don’t like me?  I’ve tried going back through every interaction with you and I can’t remember ever doing anything that would make you dislike me so much.”

While her volume in asking the question was low, Greer’s question slammed into me.  She wasn't rude or disrespectful as she asked.  Instead, she appeared almost embarrassed to be asking the question.  She truly wanted to know what she had done to incur my wrath. I had no place to hide and there was no one for me to deflect to.  It was just the two of us in my living room and I had to speak up.

I blew out a breath before speaking.  “I have a particular disdain for all lobbyists.  It doesn’t matter if they are men or women, I just don’t like or trust them.  I make my own decisions about legislation and don’t trust bills that are brought forth and paid for by special interest groups that feel the need to try and buy off those of us on the Hill to get what they want.  I especially don’t like the lobbyists from the other side of the aisle.”

Greer sat up a straight and moved to the edge of the couch.  “So, let me get this straight, you don’t know me or anything about me, but you’re judging me because of what I do and your perception that I’m most likely a Republican?”  With a reservation, I nodded my head.  “I appreciate your candor, Senator, but I must tell you that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my life.  Haven’t you ever been taught to not judge a book by its cover?”

She had me there.  I was judgmental and I’m sure if my mother were here she’d tell me the exact same thing and throw in, for good measure, that I was an ass.  I ran my hand along the back of my neck and gave Greer a smile.  “You’ve got a point.  I guess that’s why you don’t like me, then?”  She didn’t immediately respond and I took that as her answer.  “Greer, do you think you could do this?  Knowing that, in my mind at least, you wouldn’t be viewed as what you’re expecting?”

This time Greer leaned forward and looked me straight in the eyes.  Her stare was mesmerizing and I knew that I could absolutely melt in her gaze.  “If you can be nice and treat me like a lady versus sneering at me and snapping my head off, I might consider it.”  Her lip curled up into a smile and I could see that she was toying with me.  “In all seriousness, Senator, in addition to apologizing for my behavior this afternoon, I wanted to discuss the plan that Lance and Tucker were putting together.  I know we have a few issues between us, but I’d be willing to attempt to overcome them.  That is if you are.”

“The idea of deceiving my voters just to get elected doesn’t sit well with me.  To be honest, I’m not so hell bent on power that I think I’d be comfortable doing something that’s ethically questionable.”

“Is it just that or does it have something to do with the fact that you’re just not ready to move on from Elizabeth?”

There it was.  Greer had sliced my chest open, reached right in and grabbed my heart.  Instead of dancing around the subject, she decided to go right for the jugular and attack it early.  I had to admit that I hadn't expected her to do it and I certainly hadn't expected her to do it so early in the conversation.  My shock was surely registered on my face.

“I’m sorry.” Her tone was empathetic.  “I read the stories about her passing when you were elected.  I am truly sorry for your loss.”  Greer got up from her place on the couch and moved to sit on the edge of the coffee table across from me.  She placed her hand on mine and I swear I felt a jolt of electricity shoot through my body.  “I’m going to assume that is why you reacted so abruptly last night when the suggestion was brought up.  I’m also going to guess that it's why you have such a strong reaction to me.”

I couldn’t move and it took me a minute to actually breathe.  Greer was sincere and sweet; showing a side of her I hadn’t seen before and an entirely different demeanor from earlier in the day.  “What do you mean?”

“Well, you have an intense dislike for me, as you say because I’m a lobbyist.  So, the idea they wanted you to replace your beloved Elizabeth was one thing, but to have that woman be me, well that must have just been the final straw.”

Once again, I was not expecting Greer Hamilton to go there.  Her insight was spot on, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to go there with her.  The heat of her hand on mine and the look in her eye was bringing out feelings I wasn’t sure I wanted to have either.  I quickly withdrew my hand from hers and she looked as if I wounded her.

“Um, sorry about that,” I offered.  I meant it, I hadn't intended to pull away from her so roughly.  “I was actually taken off guard last night with the whole fake a relationship situation.  The way I see it, I’m still married.  I didn’t get divorced – my wife died and, had cancer not taken her, I wouldn’t be having this conversation.  So to have people I’m not even friends with, just political acquaintances with, tell me I need to forget about Elizabeth and move on struck a nerve.”

I hoped the tale I was telling was working.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved Elizabeth and actually still do love her.  But I don’t pine for her at night.  There are times I wish I had a woman in my bed keeping me warm and satisfied.  And, if I'm honest with myself, there has been a time or two I’ve wanted that woman to be Greer.  But I don’t ever act on those thoughts with any woman.  I don’t need a scandal and I sure in the hell don’t need the distraction.

“Patrick tells me I need to move on.  I guess I should, but I never anticipated hearing I needed to do it to win an election.  You’ve got your concerns over being perceived as being a whore and I’ve got mine.” I wiped my hands down my thighs and stood up.  Greer had to lean back to allow me the room to move.  I moved to the back of the chair and leaned forward.  “I don’t like the idea of lying to the voters.  I understand politicians stretch the truth and lie to some degree every single time they speak to the constituents, but I wanted to be better than that.”

“Don’t you think that this could be an opportunity for you to open yourself up to the idea of a relationship?  Potentially find someone you could share moments with?”  When I gave her a questioning glare, she began to get flustered.  “No, you misunderstand.  I’m not saying with me, per se, I’m saying in general.  You’ve been alone and haven’t moved on, so maybe having a created relationship for public appearances could give you an opportunity to get to know someone and open yourself back up to the idea of dating again.”

As much as I might have wanted to argue with her, Greer was making sense.  She had a way of making me feel comfortable even in the face of an unreasonable and ridiculous situation.  Maybe my true aversion to her was in our work environment.  Because in my house, sitting close together like this, felt comfortable.  In the time she had spent in my house this evening we had not argued.  There had been no knock-down, drag-out fights.  In fact, she had touched me and I had felt something.  Maybe, if I put my pride and ego aside, I could make this work.

I raked my fingers through my hair and paced behind the chairs.  I needed to make sure I was really okay with doing this.  Internally, both sides of my brain were at war with one another.  In my ear, I could hear Patrick telling me to man up and go for it.

“Greer,” I said her name as I turned and took a few steps toward her.  She raised her eyes to meet mine and I felt my heart skip.  “You made a compelling argument.  I mean, just because I run doesn’t mean anyone will vote for me and doesn’t mean I’ll win, right?”  She smiled and gently nodded her head.  “So, I’ll take the chance and do it.  But only on the condition that you do this with me.”

“What?  Oh, no, I couldn’t.” She stood up and began to take a few step back.  “No, it was just about getting you to agree to do this and to run.  We aren’t compatible, remember?”

I rounded the chair and moved to stand directly in front of her.  “Greer, you talked me into this, so I’m doing it.  Now, my stipulation for going through with it is that you are my partner.  So, do we have a deal?”  I flashed a smile at her hoping it would seal the deal for me.

“I’m not sure we would be able to get along and I have my career.  Well, I mean I want to get back to my real career,” her voice dropped off.

“What did you say?  You’re real career?  What in the world does that even mean?”  I was baffled by her statement and had a hard time forming a coherent statement.

“See, this is what I mean about assumptions.  I’m not a die-hard lobbyist.  In fact, I hate my job.”  I wasn’t sure I was hearing her correctly and my confusion was showing because she immediately addressed it.  “I shouldn’t say hate, that’s a strong word.  I dislike my job and it isn’t what I was hired to do.  I see I’m only confusing you more.  I’m a lawyer, business law not criminal.  I was moved from litigation to lobbying by our managing partner and he is adamant that I stay where I am.”

I was confused.  If she hated being a lobbyist why didn’t she just quit?  There was more to this story and I needed to know what it was.  “So, the idea of quitting never crossed your mind?  Greer, there are plenty of firms in the metro area and I’m sure they’d love to have you.”

“It’s not that easy.  I’m at one of the city’s largest firms if I quit they’ll ruin my career and I’ll never work in this town again.  I don’t want to start over in another city - I’ve put too much hard work in here.”

I totally understood where she was coming from.  Change was hard and stepping out of your comfort zone was especially difficult.  She just walked me through the idea of change so it was time I did the same for her.

“I think I can help you.  Taking on this role will give you exposure and will force you to take time off from being a lobbyist.  In fact, when I win the election, you’d have to quit your job.   When the time comes and you want to go back to work, they wouldn't dare try to ruin you because you’d be the former First Lady.”

Greer stared at me with her mouth agape.  I could tell that this part of the equation had never dawned on her.

“If you want me to take a leap you have to be willing to do the same.  What are you afraid of?  Certainly, you aren’t afraid of me?”  I could no longer suppress a light chuckle

Greer pulled her shoulders back and looked me in the eye with a stern look on her face.  She extended her hand and without a waiver in her voice said, “You have a deal, Chris.”


	17. Greer Hamilton

It was late when Chris had walked me down the steps from his house to wait for the car to come and pick me up.  While I had arrived at his place around sundown, it was after eleven when I left.  Our goodbye on the sidewalk was awkward, given the tone of our conversation for the evening.  He opened the door for me, said goodnight, and told me he would talk to me later.  The drive back to my apartment was quiet.  My Uber driver caught on quickly that I didn’t want to chat and was kind enough to let me be.  Not that I was ever rude to him; I'd just told him I’d had a terribly long day and was low on conversation. The drive to my apartment would take at least twenty minutes.  There wasn’t much traffic this time of night so it would be an easy commute.

I lost myself in the lights of the city while trying to reconcile everything that had just happened and what I had just agreed to do.  I was so lost in my own head that I didn’t realize we had pulled to a stop in front of my building until the driver politely informed me that we’d arrived at our destination.  I apologized profusely before struggling to open the back door and step out.  I walked into the lobby of the building, greeting the security guard on my way toward the elevator.

I was nervous as I rode the elevator up to my floor.  I wasn’t sure what to expect when I walked into the apartment.  I had a feeling it wouldn’t be good, though.  Since walking out of the meeting earlier in the day, I had ignored every attempt Claudia had made to reach out to me.  Since I knew she would employ Joanie in the search, I had ignored all her calls as well.  I hadn't wanted to keep hitting ignore to the ringer when I was at the Senator’s house, so I had turned the phone off while I'd waited for him to answer the door.  I'd only turned it back on to request my ride home.  That is when I'd seen the numerous missed calls and text messages.  Chris had just laughed and said he would probably find the same thing when he turned his phone back on as well.  Geez, I couldn’t even keep it straight in my mind if I should be referring to him as Chris or the Senator.   This was so confusing.

Squaring my shoulders, I slid the key into the lock and opened the door, bracing myself for the onslaught of questions.  I was surprised to find all the lights in the apartment were off apart from the nightlight in the kitchen.  Claudia and Joanie were not waiting for me.  The doors to the guest room and to Joanie’s room were both closed.  I had to admit it was not what I’d expected; I had expected them to be sitting in the living room ready to pounce when I walked in the door.  I had expected them to give me the third degree about where I’d been and what I’d been doing.  Radio silence wasn’t even a consideration.  I closed the door, being careful to not make a lot of noise when clicking it shut or locking the deadbolt.  I slipped my shoes off and left them by the door before gingerly walking across the living room to my own bedroom.

While I’d not been ready for the questions or third degree I was sure I’d be subjected to, I was certainly not prepared for radio silence or the lack of concern for where I was or if I was coming home. As I stepped into my room, I felt my phone vibrate in my hand.  I looked down and noticed I had received a text.

“Tell me you made it home safe and that your roommates aren’t being too hard on you.”

Chris and I had exchanged phone numbers before I left his house and I had to admit that it was sweet that he was checking up on me.  The ‘relationship’ wasn’t official yet.  While the two of us had mapped out our guidelines for how we wanted it to work, we had not presented it to Lance and Tucker yet.   Chris was going to speak with them to outline what we’d agreed upon and how his campaign would work.  Depending on what they said would determine when, or if, our charade would start.

Regardless of the outcome, Chris and I'd agreed that from this point forward we would bury the hatchet on the Hill.  Our talk had made us both realize that our preconceived notions regarding each other had not been entirely factual and we needed to stop making assumptions.  He'd agreed to be nicer, but had said he was still not going to cave on my Republican-based policies nor did it mean he had to vote for the legislation I was lobbying for.  I'd told him I was all right with that.

I quickly texted him back.

“I’m home safe and my roommates are asleep - they didn’t wait up for me.  But I’ll get an earful in the morning.”

It didn’t take him long at all to reply.

“It’ll be fine.  I’ll call you tomorrow to check in after I talk to the DNC.  Goodnight Greer.”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow.  Goodnight Chris.”

~ * ~

The apartment was once again uncharacteristically quiet as I exited my bedroom to leave, the next morning.  I noticed the doors to Claudia and Joanie’s rooms were open, but they were not in the apartment.  I quickly surmised that they planned to leave early to keep from running into me.  I checked my watch and it wasn’t even 7 am.   My phone had remained silent since I had texted Chris right before going to bed.  I checked my emails to see if I had anything pressing to cover first thing before I stepped out of the apartment and made my way to work.  Once again, I decided to drive versus taking public transportation.  With everything that happened yesterday and my fears for the awkwardness with my executive assistant, I figured it would be best to have an escape plan ready.

As I walked toward my office, I felt as if all eyes were on me.  I imagined it, no doubt.  It just sounded like my heels echoed more than normal and all sounds in the office stopped when I stepped off the elevator.  It wasn’t that I was arriving early, either.  Due to the time I fought with stopping for coffee and traffic, it was 8:15 already.  In all honesty, I was late for work. Not that I was going to care or feel bad about it mind you.  I put enough hours in on a regular basis to allow for a small transgression here or there.  As I approached my desk, I noticed that Joanie had earbuds in and was typing up my dictation notes from a few days ago.  She glanced up to see me walk into my office, but made no attempt to speak to me.

I took this as a sign and instead of dwelling on it used the opportunity to lose myself in my latest project – the Briarwood Technical contract.  I was being inundated with paper on this deal.  I had the past three contracts that had been signed along with the notes for the new one.  The research alone was going to keep me under water for days if not weeks.  I wasn’t sure I had that much time.  I elected to start easy; reading through the current contract request and seeing what I could find in the media about my ‘client.’  Part of my job was to know the minefields that my opponents would hurl at me and be prepared to defend and deflect.

I was interrupted by a quiet knock on my door.  Without looking up I offered, “Come in.”  I figured it was Joanie and she was finally getting up the nerve to come speak to me.  But when the door opened, I was surprised once again.

“I’m sorry, am I interrupting something important?” The rich velvet timbre of his voice pulled my attention from the stack of documents on my desk and I scrambled to remove my reading glasses as Chris stepped into my office.

“Um, no, come on in.” I jumped from my seat and moved towards the door.  “Have a seat.  Can I get you something to drink?”

“No, I’m fine.  Honestly, I don’t want to keep you from something if you’re busy.  You looked so intent when I walked in.” He smiled and for a minute I lost all train of thought.

“Uh, no just working on the Briarwood contract.  Trying to prepare for what you might throw at me.”  I quietly closed the door and made my way over to sit in the chair across from Chris.  He had decided to make himself comfortable on the couch.  He had crossed his right ankle over his left knee and his left arm was stretched across the back of the couch.  He was relaxed and dare I say, sexy as sin.  I couldn’t think straight when he looked like that.

“I wanted to stop by and see how you’re doing.  Did your roommate or Claudia give you any trouble this morning?”

I averted my eyes from him to look at my office door.  “My roommate is my executive assistant and she hasn’t spoken to me all day. She was out of the house before me this morning.  Which, by the way, is extremely unusual.  And Claudia?  Well, she was gone as well and I haven’t heard from her, either.”

Chris moved so that he was leaning forward, his arms resting on his legs and his hands clasped in between.  Seriously?  From one sexy pose to another.  I don’t think he was doing it on purpose, he just couldn't help it.  “I have a feeling she’ll be reaching out to you shortly.  I just left the DNC offices.  Tucker and Nash were surprised we ended up talking and coming to a consensus, but they approved of our plan.  So, Greer looks like as of right now, we’re dating.”  He gave me a smirk and a wink.

“You wanted to be seen in my office on purpose then?”  I suddenly understood why he was here instead of just calling me.

“I wanted to be seen coming to your office and being behind closed doors with you.  When I leave, I’ll make a comment about calling you later.  Best to let the speculation start in your office.”

I swallowed hard.  I couldn’t believe we were going through with this.  “Okay. Did Tucker mention when he wants to announce your candidacy?”

“He wants me to wait six weeks then announce I’m putting together an exploratory committee.  Then I’ll announce my candidacy a month after that.  So, we’ll have ten weeks or so of ‘dating’ before you have to appear by my side at the podium.”  Chris glanced at his watch.  “I’ve been here about fifteen minutes.  I need to go ahead and leave.  If I stay too long they’ll think I’m here for work.  A short visit, however, keeps ‘em guessing.”

I stood and moved toward my office door.  Before I opened it, Chris rested his hand on mine and whispered in my ear.  “This is going to work and we’re going to be fine.  Take a deep breath and know that at least we’re in this together.”

I nodded and opened the door.  Chris stepped out and he turned back to face me.  His voice was just loud enough so that Joanie could hear him, but he wouldn’t be broadcasting through the office.  “It was good to see you, Ms. Hamilton.  I’ll call you late this afternoon to continue our discussion.”

I gave him a nod, “Thank you, Senator.  It was good to see you as well.  I look forward to hearing from you.”  Chris gave me a brief smile and then turned and walked toward the elevator bank.  I tried not to let my eyes linger on him.  I didn’t want to call attention to myself, but it was hard to look away from him.

When he'd touched my hand, I’d felt the electricity jolting through my body once again.  He was doing things to me that I couldn’t quite explain.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to.

I had just taken my seat behind my desk when there was another knock on my office door.  This time it was Joanie who was opening the door and entering the office.  I couldn’t say that I was surprised.  The last thing she had known was that I didn’t get along with Senator Evans and now suddenly he was visiting me in my office and saying he will call me later.

I made the decision to keep the conversation professional.  She’d been avoiding me all morning, both at home and the office, so just because she wanted the inside scoop now didn’t mean I was going to cave quickly.  I mean, I know I'd started this entire thing by not answering the phone calls yesterday, but I'd at least came home ready to face her and Claudia.  Instead, they'd made the decision to block me.  We had ourselves a standoff and none of us were willing to blink just yet.

“Yes, Joanie, can I help you?”  My tone was a little icy.

“I heard the Senator mention that he would be speaking with you later.” She was trying to play down the fact that she was eavesdropping.  “Do I need to arrange your calendar for a meeting or a call?”  She was digging for information under the guise of being a good assistant.

“No, but thank you.  Is there anything else?”  I was a bitch and I knew it.  I couldn't help it, I was still upset.  The fact that my two best friends could not even understand what was happening yesterday or sympathize with why I was struggling was hurtful.  They acted like they were wronged because I wouldn't answer the phone.  I just needed time to absorb what was happening.  After all, I would have to lean on them since I surely couldn't ask my family for support.

“No, that's all.”  Joanie stood still in the doorway for a moment.  She then took a step forward and shut my office door.  It didn't slam but she made no effort to close it quietly.  “Look, are we just going to avoid one another all day?”

I tossed my pen down on my desk and sat back in my chair.  “That's rich of you to ask me when you were the one to hide when I came home last night and you left before I got up this morning.  You didn't speak to me when I came in and I've been in my office working all day.  Convenient that you didn't want to talk until Chris stopped by.”

“Chris?  So, you're on a first name basis with him now?”

“Joanie, I think it would be best for you to go back to your desk before either one of us says something we can’t take back.”  What was unfolding in front of me was the prime example as to why you shouldn’t live with someone who works with or for you.  While we weren’t in a romantic relationship, our friendship and working relationship was being put to the test.

“You know we were worried about you, right?  The fact that you just walked out of a house in a neighborhood you’re not familiar with.  You wouldn’t answer your phone or your text messages.  You were gone all damn day.” Joanie was starting to get emotional but she never raised her voice.  “We didn’t know if something happened to you and then when you texted you were going home we both breathed a sigh of relief.  So, imagine how freaked out we were when we got home and you weren’t there!”

I didn’t think about that point.  I was only looking at it from the situation of me ignoring calls.  I'd totally forgotten that I left the apartment without leaving them a note or telling them where I was.  But seriously?  They were that worried about me but they'd still go to bed without me being home?

“Fine, you have a point, Joanie.  I didn’t even consider the fact that I'd left the house without a note.  But what the fuck?  You go to bed when I’m not home?  If you were so worried why didn’t you stay up in the hopes I would come back?”

“Claudia received a text from the Senator when you'd left his house to go home.  He wanted us to know you’d been at his house and you were safe.  He let us know you were coming back.”  Joanie took a deep breath and I could sense she was doing all she could to keep it together.  “We were so exhausted from worry but still totally pissed off that we figured it would be best to go to bed and not confront you.  We couldn’t trust ourselves not to get into a screaming match with you and that was the last thing we wanted.”

Joanie moved over and plopped down on the couch, her eyes never leaving mine as she made herself comfortable.  “I made the decision then that I was going to come to work early.  I didn’t get much done yesterday because I was a wreck.  Claudia said she was going to leave early so she could talk to Tucker and Lance.  I figured I would speak to you at some point today but I wasn’t sure how to approach you.  The Senator’s arrival gave me an opening.”

“I didn’t mean to worry the two of you.  Hell, that wasn’t my intention at all.  I was more concerned about needing space to think and breathe.  I’m sorry, Joanie.”  I took a deep breath of my own.  “I’ll call Claudia and apologize.  Maybe we can talk about it tonight and clear the air completely.”

“So, did you agree to date the Senator so he could run?”

I had to be careful with how the words came out of my mouth.  Chris and I had come to an agreement on how this would work and who would be privy to the details.  I was about to cross a line of my own, but it had to be done to protect Chris at all costs.

“We had a big blow-up about it and I was not comfortable with the concept of being a paid escort.  But Chris and I talked last night and realized we had a mutual attraction to one another and instead of it being an arranged situation, we’d give dating a shot for real.”

Joanie jumped off the couch and came running over to my desk.  She leaned forward and looked me straight in the eyes and she wore the biggest smile on her face.  “Oh my God!  I knew the two of you would end up giving into your feelings.  So, this isn’t a publicity thing, it’s real?”  I slowly nodded my head.  “Holy shit!  You’re dating a Senator!”

“Reel it in some.  We are just starting to see one another socially but yes, we are doing it exclusively with one another.  We realized last night we had some things in common and this allows us to explore it.”

“The office is going to freak when they find out.”

Joanie loved to gossip and I knew that she would have a hard time keeping this quiet.  This was another reason for my deceit.  “Hey, can we not share this with the office yet?  I mean we’ve not gone out on an official date yet, so I don’t want the have this all over the paper.  Besides, I’m not ready for Preston to know.  Especially since I am working the Briarwood deal.  I don’t want this to be a conflict of interest for Chris and me.  So, Joanie, please, I’m begging you to keep this quiet for a while.”

She started to nod and stood up straight.  “No, no, I get it.  Your secret is safe with me.”  Joanie turned and began walking toward the door.  She quickly turned back around and put her hands on her hips.  “You need to call or text Claudia.  Let her know what’s going on before she says something to someone about the original plan.  Wouldn’t want to give anyone the wrong idea about you and the Senator.”

I couldn’t help but wonder if her comment was meant to be a threat or if she was trying to be flippant.  I didn’t want to take a chance either way.  I quickly texted Chris and let him know that I’d told Joanie about us.  He didn’t reply, but I wasn’t really expecting him to.  I just wanted him to be warned that someone knew we were dating.  Now the clock was on to see how long it would take for the news to spread.


	18. Greer Hamilton

The visit from Chris and the confrontation with Joanie made it difficult for me to concentrate on my work.  I stared at my computer, unable to decipher the words and phrases that filled my screen.  I knew that I should’ve called Claudia, or at the very least texted her, but I didn’t know what exactly to say.  I’m sure Lance and Tucker had already delivered the news that Chris and I were dating.  It wasn’t like I would be telling her before the story broke.  Reaching out to her would most likely cause an argument followed by awkward silence.  While my brain waged war with itself about what to do, the decision was made for me when my phone rang.  I could see from the caller ID that it was Claudia.

I picked up the phone and didn’t have to say anything before I heard the purr of Claudia’s voice.  “I hear you made amends with the Senator last night.  Decided to finally give into your attraction to one another, I guess?”  There was a biting tone of sarcasm and anger in her voice.  I could tell she was holding back versus completely lighting into me.  However, I had a feeling that before the call was over that would happen as well.

I cleared my voice before starting to speak.  “Chris and I were able to talk last night and clear up a few misunderstandings.”  I kept my answers, along with my tone, very guarded.  I didn’t know what her intentions were with this call and I didn’t want to play into any plans she might have to cause trouble.  Without knowing her motives, I didn’t want to dive into a discussion regarding any sort of dynamic between Chris and me.  While she was supposed to work on his campaign, I didn’t know if that was still the plan or if she was out for revenge since she was cut out of this relationship setup.  “I wouldn’t say we gave into any sort of attraction, though.”

“What would you call it then?  I mean, the Senator called Lance this morning to say that the two of you were seeing one another. So, which one of you is lying?”  Claudia’s tone became more clipped with this statement, she was being rude.  I had a feeling she would be angry because she'd been left out of the conversation, but this went a little beyond that.

I let out a sigh and rolled my eyes.  As much as I didn’t like this, it was only the beginning.  I would end up replaying this type of conversation with everyone in my office or on the Hill that knew of my verbal sparring with Chris.  Not to mention, I could only imagine what my family would say once they found out.  Then again, Chris might be the perfect type of boyfriend in their eyes.  I just had to hope that what I was about to say to Claudia would sound believable and, right now, I wasn’t convinced I could do it.  “Neither one of us is lying.  Last night I went back to his house to apologize for my rude behavior earlier in the day.  We talked and realized that we had a few things in common and had a few misconceptions about one another.  While we had misgivings about the arranged relationship, we agreed that we had a mutual interest in one another and decided to see how it played out.”

“You’re telling me nothing happened between the two of you last night?”  I could tell she didn’t believe me.

“Nothing happened.  I did give him a hug when I left, he gave me a kiss on my cheek, but that’s it.  No wild passionate affair and no sex.  We’ve agreed to begin seeing one another, simple as that.”

“But what about the arrangement?  He needs to be in a relationship to run for President.”  I could tell she was agitated with this point.  I figured it had something to do with the fact that she was part of the team that came up with the idea in the first place.

“We both had concerns over that arrangement and you’re more than aware of them.  Hell, half of Georgetown is probably aware of them.  He doesn’t want to lie and I’m not going to be a whore, simple as that.  We decided that if we were going to be linked together it was going to be real and because we’re dating.  So, we agreed to begin seeing one another.  Yes, the convenience of it is for his campaign and we wouldn’t have started this if it weren’t for that, but we’re doing this for real.”

“Oh, how noble.” Claudia spat back at me.

I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to react, so I bit my tongue and kept quiet.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” For the first time since our conversation started, Claudia’s voice began to soften.

I wondered if she had been trying to put me to the test with her comments earlier and now she figured I had passed.

“Honestly, no I don’t and I’m scared to death.  I’ve agreed to begin seeing a man that, while I’m attracted to him, still scares the hell out of me.  He’s powerful, Claudia, and he’s planning on running for President and I’m not entirely sure I’m strong enough to handle that.”

I was met with silence.  I wasn’t sure if she was just judging me outright or trying to figure out what to say next. I hoped that I had sounded sincere and she believed what I was saying.  After all, there was a line of truth in what I had said.  I wasn’t sure what I was doing or if I was strong enough to handle the spotlight of a Presidential campaign.  The only thing I did know was that Chris and I were solely responsible for what was going to happen between us.  Real or not, we wouldn’t have our strings pulled by any outside forces.  For us, that type of control did mean something.

Claudia finally broke the silence, “Can we talk about this tonight?  Joanie and I were both worried about you last night, so I think we are both owed an in-depth explanation of what’s happening.”

“Joanie and I talked earlier and she asked the same question.  I mean, she wanted to know if we could get together tonight.  We can get dinner and talk this evening.”  I said goodbye and hung up the phone.  I could feel the dread for the night forming a knot in my stomach.  It was one thing to weave my story to Claudia over the phone, it would be quite another to do it face-to-face.

~ * ~

I skipped lunch and tried to bury myself in work after my conversation with Claudia.  I had no idea what the current time was, I was totally lost in the stack of papers on my desk when Joanie stuck her head into my office to tell me she was leaving.  It was only then that I glanced at the clock on my computer and realized it was after five.

“How long are you staying here tonight?” she asked.

“Um…I’ll probably be here another half-hour.  I need to wrap up a few things first.”

“Ok!  Claudia will be late, too.  She’s gonna stop and pick up dinner on her way home.  Just figured I should give you the heads up.”

“Great, thanks.  I’ll stop and pick up a bottle of wine on my way home,” I responded back to her.  I knew we had at least one bottle of wine at the apartment, but I had a feeling we would need more than one bottle tonight.

Joanie waved and turned to leave.  She left the door open on her way out which was a blessing.  Honestly, I think she did it because she knows I get easily creeped out being alone in the dark, empty office after hours.  It isn’t that I’m afraid of the dark, but there are always weird and spooky sounds in the building, it just freaks me out.  I would love to work late into the night when I know I won’t be bothered but I almost have an anxiety attack every time I try it.

There was an added benefit to the door being left open – I’d be able to see if anyone was lurking about.  That was important because I figured this would be a good time to call Chris.  I knew he said he would call me later, but I didn't want him to call when I was in the middle of talking with Joanie and Claudia.  I didn't want him throwing me off my game.  Ok, I don’t really have ‘game,' but I was trying to at least stay focused.  I pulled his contact information up on my phone and hovered over the send button for a few seconds before mustering up the courage to press it.  The phone rang several times, I was preparing to hang up when I heard the call connect.

Chris was out of breath as he answered the call, “Hello!”

The sound of him heaving to catch his breath should not have been a turn on.  But it was.  I suddenly had flashes of what he might have been doing to leave him breathless.  Or, better yet, what we could do together that could leave him that way.  I began to wander into the recesses of my mind where I could envision Chris naked and hovering over me.  Our bodies glistening with sweat.  His blue eyes staring into mine as he moved in and out of me.  Suddenly, I could feel my entire body flush and a rush of warmth in my lady parts.  I was torn out of my reverie by his smooth voice.

“Hello?  Greer, are you there?”

“Um…yeah, sorry.  I think I zoned out for a second.”  I could hear Chris chuckle on the other end of the line and I could only hope he wasn’t able to figure out what I had been thinking.  “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“No, I was in Patrick’s office and had left my cell in my office.  So, when I heard your ringtone I took off running.  I caught you right before you would have gone to voicemail.”

I was trying to wrap my head around what he had just said to me.  “My ringtone?  You gave me a personal ringtone?”  What was that supposed to signify?

“Sure did.  I wanted to make sure I knew when you called.  That way if I’m in a meeting I can prioritize answering your call over anyone else.”

“Did you end up giving me the Darth Vader death march?”

“No, more like a nuclear warning siren.”  He started laughing again and I realized I loved the sound.  My body came alive at the sound of it, I was bound and determined to make sure I could hear that sound on a regular basis.  Not to mention the feelings it stirred.  I could only imagine how his face would light up and he would smile.  I’m pretty sure his eyes would sparkle, too.  Damn, when did I suddenly become aware of the feelings that this man could induce?

“I’m kidding, Greer.  I just have a melodic ringer that was already on my phone set for you.  I didn’t mean to freak you out.”

I quickly responded, “No, that’s fine.  I guess I was just trying to imagine the warning siren going off in your office.  Should I let you go so you can finish up with Patrick?”

“Nah, I can talk to him later; he can wait.  So, to what do I owe the honor?”

I started to panic.  Had he forgotten we were going to talk later?  Or worse, had I misunderstood?  My mind began to spin out of control with worry that I was jumping into this with two feet instead of dipping my toes cautiously.  “You’d said we would talk later and I’ve got plans tonight.  So, I thought I’d call you now when I had some time alone.”

Now it was Chris who was quiet.  I honestly wished I could read his mind at this moment.  “We did say we’d talk tonight.  I guess I lost track of time.  I take it you’re getting grilled by Claudia tonight?”

“Yeah, her and my roommate, Joanie.  They want details and I’m pretty sure they think there’s something juicy to tell.”

“Not yet there’s not, but how about letting me take you to dinner tomorrow night?  That’d give them something to talk about.”

Holy shit!  He had just asked me on a date!!!  I shouldn’t have been surprised; we were in the process of telling people we were dating anyway.  But this was almost official and it was a little scary.  I was tentative when I answered, “Are you sure?  Wouldn’t you rather start with something like lunch?”

“Who says we can’t do both?  If we’re going to make this believable, we need to go out and be seen together.”

He was right and I knew it.  However, I couldn't help but freak out at the idea.  Days ago, there had been an intense dislike between us, now we’ve fallen into a companionable situation that I can’t really explain.  He had started tearing down the walls that I’ve had up and making me feel things that I didn’t think were remotely possible.

“Okay, let’s do lunch tomorrow, then we can go from there.  Want me to meet you somewhere?”

“I’ll text you tomorrow morning to set up the specifics.  But anticipate that our lunch discussion will include dinner plans.  Good luck with the firing  squad tonight, you can tell me all about it tomorrow.”

Chris and I hung up and I couldn’t help but feel as if I was on cloud nine.

~ * ~

When I entered the apartment, Claudia was just unloading the dinner containers on the dining room table.  I had two new bottles of wine and made a bee-line for the refrigerator to get them to chill.  I went ahead and removed the bottle that had been in there for a few days since it was nice and cold.  I didn’t care if white wine would go better with dinner or not, I was ready for a glass, and this was cold.

“Does anyone want wine?”  I asked as I sat the bottle on the counter and began reaching for glasses.  Claudia and Joanie laughed at the ridiculous question, so I relaxed a little and started opening the bottle.  As I poured, I was joined at the counter and I couldn’t help but worry as to what might be coming next.  I wanted to be laid back and unconcerned over what might transpire but these two women, my friends, could do damage to my career and to Chris’s if they thought anything was out of place.

“I’m surprised you’re here with us tonight instead of out with your man.”  The condescension in Claudia’s voice dripped from each word.  She was going for the gusto early on.  “What did we do to rank so high tonight?”

I took a measured sip of my wine before answering.  “Joanie asked me to come home tonight so we could talk about yesterday.  And, if you recall, you asked if we could talk when we spoke on the phone.  So, if my two best friends ask me to come home to talk, it’s what I do.”  I maintained eye contact with Claudia as I raised my glass to take another drink.

“Did you have to change plans with the Senator for tonight?” Joanie asked tentatively.

“His name is Chris,” I responded tersely.  “And no, we didn’t make plans for tonight other than to speak by phone.  Before you ask, this isn’t my fallback plan and I’m not settling to spend the evening with you.  I wanted to get with the two of you so we could clear the air.”

“When are you planning on seeing him again?”  Joanie asked.  It was apparent she was getting curious.

“Tomorrow, we made plans to go to lunch.  Look, we’ve only just started exploring this idea of dating so don’t have me rushing off to get married yet.”

Claudia began to chuckle.  “You have to admit it though, you two would make an attractive couple.  Just tell me, Greer, could you feel his eyes on you during the meeting yesterday?  You had to have known he couldn’t stop looking at you.”

My eyebrows shot up.  “What?!  I had no idea, well, I mean, it was hard to miss when he was standing over me at one point.  But I mean overall, no I didn’t realize it.  Are you sure?”

“Girl, it was obvious to those of us in the room.  If we had any doubts, they were taken away when he left to go looking for you.”  Claudia paused for a moment, most likely for effect, before continuing.  “When you walked out, Patrick was concerned and wanted to know if anyone was going after you.  Chris exchanged words with Lance and Tucker, then he left.  We all knew he was going to look for you.”  Claudia paused again, this time she reached for her glass of wine.  She took a long sip and eyed me carefully as she did so.  I think she was waiting for me to react, but I held my emotions in check.  “Chris probably wasn’t even on the steps of the house when Tucker said he had been waiting for Chris to kiss you when you stood up to him.  He said even his calloused soul could feel the sexual chemistry between the two of you.”

I almost choked on my wine.  I started to cough and I knew that my face was turning red.  I almost couldn’t catch my breath.  All the while, Joanie was looking back and forth between Claudia and me.  She was trying to process what was going on and had questions.  So she asked.  “What exactly did he say to you when he found you?”

I was back to breathing normally and took an extended pause before I answered.  “I was sitting on a bench and he sat beside me.  He told me that he was there to take me back to the house.  I asked if he expected me to go with him just because he found me and he said yes.  As you can imagine, that didn’t sit well with me.  He told me to pull up my big girl panties and follow him, said it was ridiculous for me to act this way when the arranged relationship was my idea anyway.”

“Whoa!  I’m sure that set you off?  Why would he think you came up with the notion?  It was all me.”  If I hadn't known any different, I’d think Claudia was angry that she wasn’t getting the credit for her own idea.

“Yeah, it set me off, alright.  I have no idea why he thought it was my idea and I told him I was offended.  All through our argument, I kept calling him Senator, he told me I should call him by his first name, Chris.  I said that was too personal and it would only be professional between us, so he would always just be Senator Evans to me.”

Joanie’s hand flew to her mouth, she was in shock.  As she removed her hand, I saw the massive smile on her face.  “I’m sure that crushed his ego!”

“He said it hurt to hear me say that.  I chalked his comment up to him just being a dick.   I stormed off and scheduled an Uber and he followed me out of the park.  He wanted to know what he was supposed to tell you when he got back to the house,” my gaze was fixed on Claudia, “But I told him I didn’t care and left.”

“I had left his house by the time he made it back.  I didn’t know how long he’d be gone and I wasn’t sure I wanted to deal with him again.”  Claudia admitted, sheepishly.  “He’s a nice man and I like him, but he was riled up, Greer.  I think the two of you pushed each other’s buttons pretty hard.”

I picked up my wine glass and made my way around the counter.  My stomach was beginning to growl and since the food was out, I wanted to take advantage.  Claudia and Joanie followed me and we all took our respective seats at the table and began to dive in.

Joanie picked up her fork and before taking a bite asked, “What made you go back to his house?  I mean, if you were so angry when you were at the park, why subject yourself to anything further and go to his house?  It makes no sense to me.”


	19. Greer Hamilton

Joanie’s question about why I would go back to Chris’s house following our encounter in the park was not an easy one to answer.  Frankly, I wasn’t even sure I could even speak.  It felt like the words were stuck in my throat.  In actuality, it was probably just my dinner because I had taken a bite when she started to ask her question and it didn’t want to go down.  I felt as if I was about to choke.  I quickly reached for my wine glass, taking a sip in the hopes it would lubricate the food and allow me to swallow.  This simple act also provided an opportunity for me to formulate an appropriate response.   How exactly would I explain all the thoughts that had been running around in my head last night?     

Suddenly, I was no longer hungry.  I sat my wine glass down and gently pushed my plate back before crossing my arms and leaning forward on the table.  “When I got back to the house yesterday afternoon, I couldn’t stop the feelings of guilt.  Guilt for snapping at everyone.  Guilt for my verbal combat with Chris at his house in a room full of people.  Guilt for arguing with you, Claudia, and then walking out of Chris’s house.”    I took a deep breath, noticing Claudia and Joanie were no longer eating, but instead watching me and hanging on my every word.  

“When Chris found me in the park, I got a little high and mighty with him.  I shouldn’t have exchanged heated words with a Senator in a public park.  Now that I think about it, I’m lucky no one was around to record it and put it on YouTube.  That could have been disastrous for both of us.  All of that to say my brain wouldn’t shut off and I realized I had to apologize to him.  I was hateful and rude, that’s just not me.  Yeah, I mean, I can be difficult sometimes, but I’m not that person.  I didn’t like who had been, it was eating at me.”

I waited to see if either friend would come to my defense; however, they remained silent and just stared at me.  I glanced down and noticed my wine glass was empty.  I had to have some more liquid courage to continue.  I pushed my chair back and stood up before walked around the counter into the kitchen.  I grabbed a fresh bottle of wine from the refrigerator, along with the half-empty bottle from the counter before returning the table.  

After refilling my glass, and offering more to Joanie and Claudia, I sat back down to finish my story.  “I knew I wouldn’t be able to relax or even go to sleep if I didn’t try to fix what had transpired.  So, I changed my clothes and called an Uber to take me back to the Senator’s house.  I didn’t want to apologize over the phone, I felt I had to do it in person to have it mean something.  But I honestly thought Lance and Tucker, or even Patrick, would still be there.  I was actually hoping they would be there so I’d have a witness for my apology.”

“Instead, I got to his house and thought no one was even there.  The place was dark, no lights at all, but I still knocked on the door.  And I was about to leave when the porch light came on and he opened the door.”  I took a hefty drink from my wine glass because of what I was about to admit.  “He was standing in front of me, dressed casually.  His shirt was hanging out of his pants and he had another button undone.  I swear I thought I'd caught him in the act.  That’s when I knew I was in trouble because he looked…amazing.”

“Holy hell, that would have been an interesting story, to say the least,” Joanie commented.

“I’m surprised he opened the door,” Claudia remarked, but she didn’t stop there.  “Actually, he probably shouldn’t have answered.  He had no idea who might have been out there or what they could have done to him.  I mean, I know you wouldn’t have killed him, but he didn’t know that.”

I rolled my eyes at Claudia.  “I’m pretty sure he realized it was me the minute he turned the porch light on.”  I couldn’t hide the biting sarcasm in my voice.  I probably should have tapered my tone, but I wasn’t going to feel guilty about it.  “Anyway, he invited me in and we sat down to talk about everything.  I told him I was there to apologize for my behavior, he accepted it, then we had a nice conversation about a variety of topics.  We hashed a few things out and I’m glad I went.”

“Right, you said that already,” Claudia snipped.  Evidently, we were going to go snap-for-snap.  “So, give us the details, because I know you’re leaving things out.”

I gave her credit for being tenacious.  Even if we were going to launch barbs at one another, she wanted to hear every piece of the story.  I couldn’t be sure if her questions were because she was interested or because she was hoping to catch me in a lie.  I just couldn’t let her play mind games with me or be in my head.  I pushed forward and hoped that everything would come out the right way.

“Fine, we sat in the living room discussing the sore spots from the meeting with the DNC guys…the arranged relationship idea.  I decided to be bold enough to ask if he was opposed to the idea because I was the suggested girlfriend or was he just against the idea as a whole.  He admitted he was opposed to the idea of a fake relationship in general because he didn’t want to lie to get elected.”  I sat up straighter in my chair and kept my chin up.  I was nervous about revealing some of the more intimate details of my conversation with Chris.  I knew I had to go down this path, but it didn’t mean I was comfortable with it.  “Chris doesn’t understand why he has to be in a relationship to get votes. He would rather get elected based on his platform not because he is or is not married.  But to be fair, Chris did admit that he’s not completely over his wife’s death.  Patrick has told him he needs to move on, but he’s not ready.  While he didn’t come out and say the words, I think he feels like he’s cheating or disrespecting Elizabeth if he moves on.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Claudia exclaimed.  “How many men just move on after their wives die?  How many years has she been gone now?”

I elected not to reply to Claudia’s comments or question.  I knew she’d never had to deal with the loss of a loved one, so she was not familiar with the void that was left in your life.  For her to just dismiss the feelings that Chris had over Elizabeth’s death was rude.  However, I chose not calling her out on it because I didn't want this to blow up.  She wouldn't change her mind off anything I said anyway.

Joanie took a sip of her wine and cocked her head at me. “So, he has feelings for you, but he still has feelings for his wife?”

“At this point in the conversation, he hasn't ever said he had feelings for me, Joanie.”

“No, maybe not, but the two of you can’t deny you have chemistry!  You’ve been crushing on him for months and I’m sure that’s why he’s so combative with you.  There’s a fine line between love and hate and you two have been dancing on it for a while.”

“I think you’re a little premature for the ‘L’ word.  But yeah, as the conversation progressed we admitted we have feelings for one another.  But keep in mind those feelings have been distaste and anger, not necessarily lust.  Remember, he’s been against me politically, so even if he had positive feelings for me, he would never have acted on them.” I reached for my glass of wine and then sat back in my chair and relaxed.  Everything I was relaying so far was true, there was no deception.  If I were relaxed and appeared relaxed to my friends, then I would be more believable as the night went on.  “As Chris and I talked, we realized we had more in common than we both realized.  It finally dawned on him that I’m a lobbyist by trade and not because I’m passionate about it.  I told him the truth about Preston moving me to the department and not letting me pursue my career in litigation.  I just let my guard down with him.

“I let Chris know that while he had an aversion to the idea of dating to secure votes, he should give it careful consideration because he would be a wonderful candidate for President.  But I made it clear that he shouldn’t pick someone the DNC wanted.  No, he should pick someone he was comfortable with so the relationship would appear natural and not staged.  Plus, if he already knew the person he wouldn’t have to worry about their motives because that could bite him in the ass in the future.”  I leaned forward to place my wine glass back on the table before relaxing back into my chair.  “At that point, we dropped the conversation and went into the kitchen and fixed dinner and then just continued to talk.  It was refreshing.  I mean, we got to know one another, but the dynamic between us was as if we’d been friends for years.”

“When exactly did it come up that you two would date?” Claudia asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

“When I was getting ready to leave, he told me that I was right about the dating thing.  He told me that maybe it was time to move on and try something new and if it worked out for a Presidential run it would be a bonus.  I told him that was great news and I was happy he was going to try to move forward.  Then he leaned forward and whispered in my ear that he’d like to know if I’d consider going out with him.”

“Oh my God!” Joanie exclaimed, her screams reverberating off the walls.  “That is so damn romantic, don’t you think so, Claudia?”

Claudia did not seem moved.  “Yeah, really romantic.”  The tone of her voice let me know she wasn’t buying it.  

“Ok, so maybe I jumped ahead and wrapped it in a bow, but yeah.  I think we both realized after spending the evening together that we’re comfortable around each other.  The posturing on the Hill is just that.  You said it yourself, there’s a chemistry there and our being together with no one else around and with no expectations showed us that.”

“So, if you jumped ahead why not give us more details?”

“I’m not going to give you the rundown of four hours or so of conversation.  I can’t recite to you every piece of dialogue, and honestly, you don’t want to hear it.  He told me about his parents, I told him about mine.  We talked about my job and why I hate being a lobbyist.  He told me I should consider changing firms, I shared my fears that I’d be ostracized.  As you can see, we covered a variety of topics and conversations.  I’ll be the first to admit Senator Chris Evans is nothing like the man I had built up in my mind.  I’ve thought all these horrible things about him after our confrontations over legislation, but he’s just passionate about his causes, that’s why he fights so hard.  I found him to be charming and funny and I found that I like him, more than I ever thought I would.”

“If the two of you like one another why didn’t you just stick to the agreement?  I just don’t see why you felt the need to ditch what would have been an ideal setup.” I could sense that Claudia doubted my story.  Her tone didn’t convey it as much as her words.

My senses were on high alert, I needed to tread carefully.  But Claudia was making me angry, I didn’t know if this was a test or if she really felt this way.  My posture tensed as I sat forward and fixed my gaze on her.  “I was not about to enter into an agreement that would make me a paid escort at best and a whore at worst.  Selling myself for money just to help someone get elected didn’t sit well with me and if you can’t understand that maybe we aren’t as good of friends as I thought.  I told you, we found we liked one another and if he was going to dip his toe into the dating pool again he wanted to do it honestly.  He had no interest in lying to get elected.  So, we like one another and we agreed to start seeing each other knowing that he was moving toward running and I had to be accepting of that.  If it works, it works.  If not, well at least the voters know he was not sitting at home all the time mourning what he’d lost.”

Neither Joanie nor Claudia had a response.  They both just watched me and seemed to scrutinize every move I made and every twitch in body language.  My voice had steadily risen in volume as I'd talked and I knew they might see that as me trying to convince them of a lie.  In all honesty, I had given them an accurate portrayal of my evening with Chris.  We'd had dinner and we had spoken at length about our backgrounds.  I just didn’t want to share that we'd agreed to do this so he could get elected and I could get out of working for Preston Miller.  We each had an agenda and it would be mutually beneficial for both of us.  Chris would help me when it came to being on the campaign trail and covering my costs.  We’d decided that I’d move into his place when the time came for me to be on the campaign trail full time.  That would give everyone the impression that our relationship had been elevated to a more serious level.  

As it stood right now, I didn’t have that many expenses to cover.  I had my rent and a car but only a single credit card with a hefty balance.  My focus would be to pay the card down and to pay off the car while squirreling away as much money as I could.  He’d help me out with money as things moved along, but we would present a united front to everyone, including friends and family, that this relationship was one hundred percent real.  

Tonight was a major test, however.  If I could not get my friends to believe this story then there was no way it would pass the sniff test on a grand scale.  The silence in the room was starting to scare me.  “Why aren’t the two of you saying anything?” I finally mustered up the courage to ask.

Claudia reached for her wine and sat back in her chair.  She kept staring at me before she finally broke the silence,  “I never thought I’d see the day when you’d actually date a politician.  I mean, when you moved to DC, you kept complaining about how hard it was to date because everyone was in politics or wanted to be in politics and you wanted no part of that life.  But I’ll admit that I see the light in your eyes when you talk about the Senator. And the chemistry between the two of you yesterday was off the charts.”  Claudia leaned forward and raised her glass.  “A toast to Greer and Senator Evans, may you find all the love and happiness you deserve.  I’m sure one day we’ll be doing a toast like this at the White House and laughing as to how it all started.”

Joanie and I raised our glass and joined Claudia in saying, “Cheers!”

~ * ~

I stood outside The Capital Grille and took a deep breath before I opened the door to enter the restaurant.  For some reason, I was more nervous for this lunch than I had been when I'd gone to Chris’s house two nights earlier.  I’m sure it had something to do with the fact that walking in this door would mean that my relationship with a U.S. Senator would be going public.  He’d been in my office to see me and I knew that several people there had already been gossiping about it.  To be seen in public with him now would get even more people in town talking.  I wasn’t sure if I could pull off the acting job of a lifetime, but I was about to find out.  I held my head up, pulled my shoulders back and opened the doors, approaching the hostess stand to announce myself.

“Hello, I’m meeting Senator Evans for lunch, has he arrived?”  I kept my voice even and without inflection, trying not to sound nervous.

“You must be Ms. Hamilton.  Yes, the Senator has been anticipating your arrival.”  The young woman, who was amazingly formal, led me through the crowded dining room towards the back corner.

I took a moment to appreciate the view.  Chris was seated at a small, intimate table with his head down reviewing what appeared to be an opened file folder.  He was dressed in his trademark blue suit.  I would almost swear he wore blue just to make his eyes stand out more.  Today, however, he wore a lavender shirt with a dark purple tie; not a combination I would have expected but he did look divine.  His dark blonde hair was swept back, gelled and held perfectly in place.  He glanced up noticing that I was walking toward him and a smile broke out across his handsome face.  He gently closed the file folder and pushed himself away from the table so he could stand to greet me.  

Chris placed his hands on my shoulders, leaning forward to kiss my cheek.  He kept the kiss chaste and professional since we were in a crowded space with so many watchful eyes.  “Hi, Greer, how are you?”  Chris nodded in the direction of the hostess and she turned to leave us alone.  Being a gentleman, Chris pulled my chair out and offered me a seat.  “I hope you don’t mind, I ordered you a glass of tea.  I didn’t think wine would be ideal for lunch.”

“That’s fine, thank you.”  I slowly crossed my legs and then leaned forward at the table while Chris was taking his seat.  I whispered softly, “Tell me, are you as nervous as I am?”

He let out a light, melodic chuckle.  “Yeah, you could say that.  This is intimidating, I feel out of sorts.  I’ll admit, it’s been years since I dated.”

“Same for me, so I guess we’re muddling through this together.”

“I guess we are.  Tell me, how did things go with Joanie and Claudia last night?  Was it as painful as you feared?”  

I sat back in my chair and allowed myself to relax.  No sense it being uptight since I was sitting across from a man who I was trying to convince people I was dating.  If I looked apprehensive or frightened, it would entirely kill what we were trying to accomplish.  “It went well.  I’m fairly confident that they bought the story I told.”

Chris gave me a curious look.  “Only fairly certain?  Why not commit completely to your certainty?”

Now it was my turn to laugh.  “Joanie believed me, in fact, she was mesmerized by the entire story.  She told me it was just a matter of time before this happened.   But Claudia, she’s the wildcard; she took in everything with a heavy dose of curiosity and skepticism.  She dropped a few snarky remarks here and there, but in the end, I think she bought into it.   I guess we’ll see.” I leaned forward to pick up my tea glass and take a sip.  As I sat the glass back down, I licked my lips and I could almost swear I saw Chris squirm in his seat.  “I told them we decided to date.  Told them we talked for hours and found we had some things in common and we felt comfortable with each other.”

“You know that’s not a lie?  Everything you just said was true, or at least it’s the truth I know.”  

Before I could respond, our waiter appeared to take our order.  Chris elected to order for both of us, although I came close, I didn’t raise an objection.    I hated it when men tried to exert themselves over their date and order on their behalf.  I knew some women saw it as romantic, but I saw it as dominating and overbearing.  The only reason I didn’t speak up was that Chris ended up getting my order correct.  It was as if he could look at me and automatically know what I would order.  

As the waiter left, Chris leaned forward with his elbows on the table.  “Sorry, that wasn’t very nice of me, was it?  Are you gonna yell at me now?” Then he winked. The bastard winked and looked so damn smug; he was almost too good looking for words.

I forced myself not to smile in return.  “No, I didn’t like that you asserted yourself in that manner.  However, since you got the order right I’m not gonna yell at you.”  I returned his wink and enjoyed seeing the smile cross his features.  It really was hard to stay angry with a man who looked as good as Chris did.  In fact, it was damn near impossible. “And to answer your earlier point, yes, it is true that the majority of what I said to them was accurate.  However, I obviously had to retell history to fit our narrative.  I couldn’t tell them that we aren’t real but just doing what we need to get our desired results.”

Chris reached for his glass and took a sip.  This time I was left to ogle at the way his lips graced the side of the glass.  I watched his Adam's apple as he swallowed and how he bit and licked his lips once he set his glass back down.  Suddenly, I was feeling flushed.

I cleared my throat before I could speak.  “I just need to be careful around Claudia.  We had lunch the other day, the same night she had dinner with you and she called me out for potentially having feelings for you.  I denied it and now two days later we’re dating.  I think it’s only logical she’d be questioning the entire scenario.  But I stuck with the narrative we put together so if she talks to Lance or Tucker everything should remain seamless.”

Lunch was served and the conversation between the two of us came easily.  We made the conscious decision to not talk about work.  Instead, we focused on one another and how we fit together.  The more Chris spoke, the more I found myself drawn to him.  He was charismatic and it was apparent that he’d make an excellent Presidential candidate.  I just had to hope I didn’t do anything to derail the campaign before it even left the station.  When the waiter appeared with the little black leatherette that held the bill for lunch, Chris quickly nabbed it and presented it back to the waiter with his credit card.

The look on my face said it all.  So, Chris leaned forward and responded before I could say anything.  “Don’t be mad.  We are supposed to convince people we’re together and dating, right?  So, it wouldn’t look good if I made my girlfriend pay for lunch, now would it?”  I could feel my cheeks begin to blush with his words.  He had a valid point and I couldn’t argue with him.  “Now, what time do you want me to pick you up for dinner?”

Now it was my turn to smile. “Senator, I don’t think I agreed to have dinner with you this evening.”  My tone was flirty and light and he knew I was playing with him.

Chris placed his hand on his chest. “You wound me, Greer.”  Chris then reached across the table for my hand.  “I sort of thought we could do something a little different tonight, that is, if you’re up for it.”

“Different, how?”  I was intrigued, to say the least.

“Oh, I’m not gonna tell you until after you agree to go out with me.”

I let out an exasperated huff as if I was over this game and aggravated with him.  Actually, my heart was beating as fast as hummingbird wings and I thought it might flutter out of my chest.  “Ok, fine, I guess I’ll go out with you.”  I then let out a laugh so he knew that I was still flirty.

“Fantastic,” Chris said as his face lit up.  “I’ll pick you up at your place at 6:30, so text me your address.”

Before I could say anything to him, the waiter reappeared with Chris’s receipt and credit card.  He made quick work of signing his name and then pushing away from the table.  As he stood by my chair, he proffered his hand to assist me with standing.  When I placed my hand in his I could feel the electricity jolt between us.  He laced his fingers with mine and began leading me out of the restaurant.  I didn’t need to look around, I could feel the eyes of the other restaurant patrons on us as we made our way through the dining room.  

We broke through the doors of the restaurant and onto the sidewalk, Chris still held my hand in his.  We were standing side by side and he turned his head and kissed my temple.  “Thanks for lunch, I’ll see you tonight.  Don’t forget to text me your address.”  

Chris released my hand and I suddenly felt the void of his touch.  I ached to feel him again and I knew this meant I was in trouble.  As Chris took a few steps from me, I yelled at him, “You didn’t tell me what we’re going to do tonight.”

Chris turned to look and me and started to laugh.  “I’d rather you think about it all day long.  But dress casual tonight, Greer, this won’t be a fancy dinner date.”


	20. Senator Chris Evans

My body was humming as I walked away.  The kiss on her temple had been light, I just couldn't help myself.  I could still smell her shampoo, her perfume and the thoughts of her were consuming me as I started to walk back to the Capitol.  I hadn't wanted to walk away, but if I'd stood there a moment longer, I knew couldn't trust myself and what I might have done.  I hadn't gone to lunch with her expecting to have these feelings.  No, lunch was supposed to have been an opportunity to get to know her better and to just let people see us together in public.

What lunch had taught me, though, was that Greer Hamilton would be easy to fall for.  I'd been wrong about her from the very beginning.  I'd never realized how warm and intelligent she was.  I'd known she had a sharp tongue and could easily bite back at the opposition, but that was who she was for work and not the core of the woman she was.  Knowing what I'd just walked away from, my afternoon in the office would be shot to hell.  All I'd do was think about her and countdown to when I saw her for our dinner date.

Date...that was a scary word.  I hadn't dated in years and I wasn't sure if I could pull this off.  Bitsy had always told me she'd thought I was romantic, but I had been in it with her for the long haul.  I'd never imagined I'd lose her and have to start over.  And I certainly never expected to date a woman and need to make it look real all the while keeping my feelings out of it.  Greer had told me, in the kitchen the other night, that she wasn't looking for love or a relationship; her career was important.  We'd agreed; no feelings, this would be a business transaction.  That sounded so harsh, thinking about it now.  The problem was, I wasn't sure I could keep the emotion out of it.

Greer wasn't aware that I'd watched her as she'd entered the restaurant.  I could tell by looking at her that she'd been nervous.  She'd shifted her stance, it had been subtle, but I'd been watching her so closely that I'd noticed it.  When the hostess had started walking her towards our table, I'd looked down at the file folder I'd spread out on the table.  I hadn't wanted to make her more uncomfortable by staring at her.  Instead, I'd tried to exercise every bit of self-control I had and appear ambivalent to her arrival.  I’d become so nervous that I'd ended up reading the same sentence over and over.

Greer and I were both entering this 'relationship' with our eyes opened.  However, we were both concerned about the deception we would be committing when it came to our friends and family.  We'd promised each other that we wouldn't share our plans with anyone; it was best to let there be plausible deniability. That and the fact that we didn’t want anyone to be in our secret and have them decide to unleash a vendetta by splashing our details across every newspaper front page in the country.  Our plan would provide an opportunity for my Presidential campaign and Greer’s escape from being a lobbyist.  We’d have to worry about what it would mean for us if I won the election. Doing this on our own terms meant that we’d be able to keep the DNC out of our private life; meaning we wouldn't have to fall in line with their dog and pony show.

The deception was going to be the worst part.  Specifically, the deception when speaking to our families.  While we each had the advantage that our parents didn’t live in D.C, I had the issue of my brother-in-law being local.  Patrick liked Greer and I knew that.  However, he’d also heard me rant about her in the past and might be leery of my sudden decision to start dating her.  Although, he had told me, repeatedly, that if I were to move on, she was the woman I should go after.  He had some sort of radar to always know where she was in the room when we are all attending the same event.  Patrick would point her out to me or make comments about how she looked.  I’d told him, in the past to go after her, but he'd always said she was the perfect woman for me.  I'd laughed him off every single time.  Come to think of it, maybe he would just think all my prior protesting was nothing more than repressed feelings and think nothing more of it.  Greer and I would just have to be at the top of our game to make Patrick believe we were blissfully happy every time he was around.  Seriously, how hard could that be, right? I could already sense I was in trouble.

Then there were my parents and the calls I knew I would have to make, but didn't want to; especially the one to my mother.  That was because I'd have to cover two subjects that my mother was very vocal about.  First, telling her I was dating again would initially be met with skepticism.  Keep in mind, she'd never been a fan of Elizabeth and had always felt that we'd been destined for divorce, so my mother had never seen me living happily ever after with Elizabeth.  She'd said we looked good together, but that it had been just a façade, that we hadn't really fit and that we had no foundation.

When I got around to telling her about Greer, she would be worried about the type of person Greer was and would ask a million questions.  However, in the end, Lisa Evans would be happy that her son was getting back into the dating world.  Her happiness would be short-lived, however, when then I announced I was going to run for President.  I would be met with silence while she fumed and tried to keep from blowing her stack!  My mother hated politics.  She hated that it ruined her marriage and that my father had left her for his mistress, Lady Justice.  My brother and I had lived with our mother while dad had served his role in the Senate and stayed in D.C.  We had been whisked back to Boston and raised there, out of the DC loop and the political tidal wave.  She had not been happy when I'd told her of my intention to go after my father’s seat.  It had driven a wedge between the two of us because she'd known I’d be lost to her in the Senate halls.  While my running had pushed my mother away, it had brought me closer to my father.  She would see this as another opportunity for me to drive her away and would think I was doing it only to please Mac Evans.

My father, Robert McKenzie Evans, or Mac as he was known to his friends, had been a United States Senator for 20 years.  Give or take; hell, I'd quit counting how long he’d been there.  I'd just known, as a child, that when the Senate had been on vacation, he'd come back to Boston and I’d get to see him.  As I'd aged, my father had been less interested in spending time with me.  He hadn't known how to handle older children.  At least, he hadn't until I’d graduated college and had announced I was joining the Marine Corps.  That had made him stand up and take notice because now he could refer to me in campaigns and say he was the proud father of a Marine.  I won’t even go into the mileage he'd gotten out of my addition to the SEAL team.  Dangerous and top-secret missions had made him an advocate for the military.  He’d gotten himself placed on the Intelligence Committee so he’d have eyes and ears on the missions I had been running.  I’d like to think it had been to make sure I'd been safe, but I had a feeling it had been so he could potentially use that information in a campaign or presser if he'd needed it.  He'd been tickled pink when I'd moved over to the CIA to work as an analyst.  I remembered him telling me that this experience would benefit me one day.

That "one day" had been a few years later when Mac Evans had wanted to step away from the Senate.  He had been ready to retire and he'd wanted me to run for his seat.  I hadn't been sure about it, but he'd told me I'd been a shoe-in.  That was when my relationship with my father had blossomed; when my political ambitions had started to grow.  He'd never voiced an opinion on Elizabeth, but I knew he would have one on Greer.  And he would throw his support behind me dating and staying in the public eye with ‘my girl’ so it could benefit me in the race.  He knew how the political wheels turned.  He’d had already warned me, though, not to run for President.  In his opinion, the real work was done in the Senate and the House and the President did nothing more than endure battle after battle.  He'd told me that you just couldn’t ‘win’ as the President and it was a thankless job that would leave me stressed out and unable to sleep.

When push came to shove, I knew both of my parents would support me.  I’d just have to listen to them encourage me to rethink my decision before they caved and offered their support.  Although, that road to getting them to support me would be long and bumpy if news of what I was planning to do were leaked before I talked to them.  So far, I’d been lucky; my dinner with Lance and Tucker had not made the rounds through the gossip mill.  And no one had seen them at my house, so that was beneficial as well.  Right now, I wasn't a blip on any radar screens, so I was safe – or, at least, I hoped that was the case.

I’d been so lost in my narrative that I hadn't realized I was back on the grounds of the Capitol building.  I stared up at the daunting staircase that leads to the front doors of the building and, for a moment, wondered if I should take the easy way out and go through the door on the side street.  The advantage to the side door was avoiding the crowds of people who were there to sightsee.  In the end, I choose the front steps.  I wanted to see the faces of the people who were entering this building for the first time and taking in the rich history, experiencing the awe and wonder of what they were surrounded by.  I appreciated walking in the steps of the men and women who had forged our great country and had shaped our history.  Today I was taking in the sights with a new perspective.

I looked at the statues and artwork that remind us of what we had gone through to get to this point in our history.  You couldn't know where you’re going unless you knew where you’d been.  Not all our nation’s history was fairytale material; we'd had dark days that we had lived through as a nation.  But we’d overcome them or, at least, we were still trying to make ourselves better because of it.  This was why I looked around and hoped that one day, I would be an integral part of that history.  I wanted to be remembered in this building as a Senator, but also as the Commander in Chief.

I shook the thought out of my head and started up the stairway to the hallway of my Senate office.  I rounded the corner at the top of the stairs and had gone halfway down the hall when I saw Senator Andrews walking in my direction.  This was fate intervening, I knew; she was one of the people I needed to speak with.  Senator Andrews smiled and, when she reached me, she came to my side and looped her arm around mine.

“Well, fancy that I’d run into you in this hallway, Senator Evans.  I just left your office, Patrick told me you were at a lunch appointment.”  Adeline smirked, as if she knew a secret, then patted my arm.  “So, tell me, did you enjoy your lunch with Ms. Hamilton?”  I was sure the shock registered on my face.  I couldn’t believe that Patrick had given up who I'd had lunch with.  “Yes, Patrick told me you were dining with the attractive young lobbyist.  He was absolutely giddy, could barely contain himself.  Said he didn’t know if it was business or pleasure, but he was thrilled nonetheless.  So, tell me, is Ms. Hamilton the young woman you mentioned when you phoned the other night and said you wanted to talk?”

I spoke through gritted teeth. “Can we not talk about this out in the open hallway?”

“Oh!  So, there is something to talk about?  Well, sure thing, Senator, let’s go to my office since it’s closer.”

We walked the short distance to Adeline’s office and I held the door open for her.  As we entered the suite, I looked around and noticed Mary seated at the desk immediately to my left.  “Senator Andrews, will you give me just a moment?”  I noticed Adeline was already at the door that leads to her private office.  Adeline nodded and I turned my focus back to Mary.

“Mary, would you be so kind as to call Patrick and let him know where I am?”  I figured this would help me avoid answering uncomfortable questions from Patrick regarding what had happened over lunch, but it would provide him an update as to my location.  Plus, he would never turn down the opportunity to talk to his lady friend.

“I’d be happy to, Senator Evans.”  Mary reached for the phone and began to dial as I moved to Adeline’s door and entered her private office.

I closed the door behind me and stood in the middle of her office, not quite sure what to do next.  Adeline was leaning against her desk just observing me. “Mary’s making the call for me,” I volunteered to break the awkward silence.  I appreciated that I could call Adeline Andrews a friend.  However, this graceful woman was a gun-toting, conservative Republican from the deep south and the complete opposite of every member of the Evans family from Boston.  She was a best friend to my father and I’d always considered her a second mother.  She’d taken me under her wing when I'd come to Washington and I knew I could talk to her about anything, but that didn’t mean she didn’t scare me to death.    I could tell I was about to be cross-examined by the former District Attorney of Oxford, Mississippi.

As Adeline opened her mouth, there was a soft knock on the door and Mary opened the door.  “Senator Evans, Patrick has been notified, he said your calendar is clear for the remainder of the day.”

“Thank you, Mary.”  With that, she backed away and closed the door.

“Why don’t you have a seat, Christopher?”  Adeline’s voice was stern, she'd always called me Christopher when she was trying to make a point.  This made me nervous.  I sat down in the oversized, uncomfortable chairs across from her desk.  “Why don’t you tell me about this curious little lunch date you had with Ms. Hamilton.  I’m sure there are a few things that are interesting about that lunch, don’t you?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know what you’re referring to, Adeline.”  I preferred to play dumb, I had absolutely no idea where she was going with this.

“With the whispers of a potential Presidential run, are you dating her because you want to or because the DNC thought it would be a good idea?”  There was a playfulness in Adeline’s voice as she said the words, but she was taking a strike at getting some answers.

“Um….what?  What in the world are you talking about?”  My brain had shut down, there was no way for me to form a coherent or smooth sounding response to the Senator.

Adeline began to laugh as she pushed herself from the front of her desk and made her way around to her chair behind it.  “Oh, calm down, Christopher, I’m having a little fun and I can see you’re starting to sweat.  I’ve heard a few rumors bouncing around, although no one has any…what do you call it?”

“Receipts,” I chimed in.

“Right, receipts.  There are a few Senators on both sides of the aisle, mind you, that are a little nervous about these rumors.  So, are the rumors true?  Are you running for President?”

“Where are these rumors coming from, Adeline?”  There was a wave of nausea rolling through my stomach.  I sincerely hoped I could fight it off.  When I'd talked to Lance and Tucker, it had been discussed that our conversation and my potential candidacy would be kept quiet.  What had gone wrong and who'd talked?

“You should know by now, my dear boy, that I’ve got eyes and ears all over the place.”  Adeline crossed her arms on her desk and leaned forward.  “You evidently had dinner the other night with Lance Bishop and Tucker Nash, speculation is the discussion was about a Presidential run.  The question is, did they call you or did you call them?  Because there are some serious ramifications if they called you.”

I leaned forward in my chair, it was becoming more uncomfortable by the second.  “They called me, but it’s not what everyone is thinking.”  I was going to have to lie to Adeline; damn, I hated this.  “They wanted my opinion on the current candidates who’ve declared and who they could count on me to support.  Lance Bishop thinks I’ve got some sort of influence and could impact the race.  I did ask him, while we were talking, what would happen if I tossed my hat into the ring.”

I could tell that Adeline was watching for some sort of body language to say that I was lying. While she might have been a tough-as-nails prosecutor, she seemed to have forgotten I had been a Navy SEAL.  I could lie and not give away any indication that I was doing it.

“Are you thinking of running, Christopher?”

“I’ve considered it.  C’mon, Adeline, you know the current Democratic candidates are less than ideal.  I’d be an idiot to stand by and watch one of them ruin the party and the country.  Hell, we’d be handing the Republicans the White House and, if I’m honest, I’m not really happy with your candidates, either.  I’m a wild card, though.  I’m not convinced I’d have a snowball’s chance of actually winning.”

Adeline waited for a beat and then sat back in her chair.  “You know I’d love to believe you, Chris, but I’ve got my doubts that you’re giving me the whole truth.  What I’ve heard is that they approached you and want you to run.  They want you to launch an exploratory committee and gauge your chances before you officially announce.  What I don’t know and, what I’m most curious about, is how this circles back to Ms. Hamilton.”

I pushed myself out of the chair and started to pace around the office.  Adeline knew me well enough to realize this meant I had something on my mind.  I walked when I was nervous or needed to think.  She’d watched me do it in countless closed-door meetings.  It was actually a joke among some of my peers.  To her credit, though, she said nothing and just let me walk.  I started waging war in my own brain over telling her the truth.  I needed to talk to someone I could trust and, while logic would have you think it's a member of my family, I felt as if they would need plausible deniability should shit hit the proverbial fan.

I stopped in the middle of the office and faced Adeline. “Are there recording devices in your office?”

I was met with raucous laughter.  “Honey, Watergate taught me to never record someone without their knowledge.  Hell no, I’ve got no devices in here.  Say what you want.”

I took one more lap around the office before leaning against the back of the chair I’d been sitting in earlier.  “You can’t repeat this, Adeline.  I swore I wouldn’t tell a soul so you cannot tell anyone, I mean it.”  Adeline nodded, I knew this meant she would do as I asked.  I raked my fingers through my hair and started to second guess my decision to do this.  “Fine, Lance and Tucker approached me.  They don’t like the candidates running and they fear for our chances in the election; they want me to consider running.  They told me if I was interested in doing it they could guarantee donors to back me and I’d have the support I’d need to get nominated.”

“Okay, but why you?  Don’t get me wrong, you know I adore you, but what made them pick you over any other Senator out there?”

Her question stung at first, but it was valid.  “My background, I’m a Marine veteran with a stint in the CIA.  I’ve got a war record, you know that always plays well with voters.  The only concern they had, they actually told me it was an issue that I needed to rectify, was the fact that I’m single.”

“You’re not single, you’re a widower.  That’s a significant difference.”

“Yeah, well they want me in a relationship so I’m perceived as stable.”

I could see Adeline flinch when I said those words.  She understood what I’d gone through with losing a spouse.  It wasn’t something you just immediately recovered from.  Well, I mean, some people could, but I hadn't been one of those people.

“I’m trusting you told them to go to hell, right?”  That right there was one of the reasons why I loved this woman.

“I didn’t, no, not at first.  I’ll admit that I let them give me their rationale on why this would be a good idea.  They gave me this bullshit line about me being handsome and how, if I’d run without being in a relationship, there’d be too much focus on who I was dating and not on my platform.  They said it would be distracting and since we wanted people to focus on what I stood for, it was best that I was in a relationship.”  I started to pace again, but Adeline didn’t intervene.  I think she was shell-shocked at the audacity of the DNC and what they were suggesting to me.

After three or four passes, I stopped and looked at Adeline again.  “I stormed out when they suggested I date Greer Hamilton.  When they suggested her, it hit me wrong.  I mean, we’ve spent months fighting with one another and snipping back and forth.  All I’ve ever known about her was that she’s a lobbyist and a Republican, two things I can’t stand.”

“I’m a Republican and you like me,” Adeline interjected.

I thrust my hands down into my pants pockets. “You’re different.”

“Oh, you mean you’re in no danger of falling in love with me, right?”  Adeline teased and I could feel my face start to flush.  “About a week ago, you told me you didn’t have feelings for Greer and I challenged you on that.  Are you telling me now you’d like to reconsider your position, Senator?”

I knew Senator Andrews was mocking me, but I couldn’t argue with her, she was right. “Fine, I’ve always been attracted to Greer.  Patrick keeps telling me I pick fights with her because I’m afraid to show my true feelings for her.  We fight at every opportunity, including when the DNC brought her to my house to discuss a relationship arrangement.  She stormed out of the house, I tracked her down, and we argued again.  It’s like a vicious circle for us.”

“I think that just means there’s a lot of fire and chemistry between the two of you.  Are you afraid if you entered into a fake relationship with her that you might end up having real feelings?”  I didn’t answer her.  Instead, I walked back around and sat in the uncomfortable chair again.  “Oh, my!  That is the issue, you’re scared you might end up liking her, and you have that unresolved issue of Elizabeth hanging over you.”

“Elizabeth’s dead, Adeline, I’d say she’s resolved.”

“No, she’s unresolved because you’ve never allowed yourself to move on.  You still view yourself as married and this is your stumbling block.”

“Yeah, well, anyway.  Greer came to my house and ended up apologizing for her actions.  I apologized as well and we ended up spending the night together.”  Adeline raised her eyebrows at me.  “Evening, we spent the evening together.  Get your mind out of the gutter.  We talked and got to know one another.  I realized she’s not a Republican and she’s only a lobbyist because her boss is making her do it.  We’ve got quite a few things in common and I could actually see myself falling for her.”

“I don’t think you could fall for her, I think you’ve already done it.  So, you’re dating so you can run for President?”

“Sort of.  I mean, we decided to ignore the plan the DNC wanted us to follow; we didn’t like the conditions.  Plus, Greer thought it made her out to be a whore.  I didn’t like the idea of the DNC being in my private life or my bedroom.  We’re doing this on our terms.  I get a girlfriend on my arm to help with the election and she’ll be able to leave her job working for Preston Miller without getting a black eye in the DC legal community.  We can make everyone think we’re real.”

“Neither one of you is doing this because you have feelings for one another?”

I shook my head. “No, we’re each doing this because we will get something out of it.  It’s mutually beneficial and no one knows about it but me and her.  Well, and now you.”

“Do you want to fall in love with her?”


	21. Senator Chris Evans

The question from Adeline had taken me by surprise:  “Do you want to fall in love with her?”  I didn’t know how I was supposed to answer.  I knew I could be honest with her about my feelings; however, I wasn’t sure I could be honest with myself and that was the real problem.  It took some time to coherently form a sentence and let the words tumble from my mouth.

“I think I’m open to it.  Shit, that’s the first time I’ve admitted that.”  I felt like an idiot because I’d said those words out loud, but when I looked at Adeline, well, her face was all lit up like she was proud.  “Fine, I’ll admit that I wouldn’t mind if the fake relationship went somewhere.  I don’t feel good about saying it.”

“You mean it makes you feel like you’re betraying Elizabeth?”

“Yes, and that was one of the reasons I didn’t want to do this fake relationship in the first place.”

“You’re not betraying her and I think you know that.  Quit being a martyr and actually let yourself be happy.”

“That’s all well and good but Greer has said she’s in this for herself.  She thinks I’d make a great President, but I don’t think she’s going to develop feelings for me.”

“You don’t know that. She might already have feelings and that’s why it was important for her to apologize to you.” I didn’t respond, I only shrugged.  Adeline had a point and, honestly, I’d never even considered that reason.  “If you were to get elected, would she move into the White House with you?  I mean, have you given any consideration for what it would mean for your fake relationship if you become President?”

“We haven’t discussed it.  I’ve got no idea what would happen.”

~ * ~

My head was full of mixed emotions when I left Senator Andrews to make my way back to my own office.  Mary, the office assistant for Senator Andrews who was also Patrick’s girlfriend, had let my office know where I was.  I hadn't bothered, therefore, to keep the ringer volume up on my phone while I had been with Adeline.  After all, if Patrick needed me, he could call Mary.  Since we hadn't been interrupted, I had no idea anything was wrong.  However, when I walked into my office, I was struck with the reality that all hell had broken loose.  My office staff was in an all-out-frenzy.  I’d barely made it through the door before Patrick came rushing toward me with notes waving in the air.  As if everyone wanted to see my response, all activity in the office stopped and I could feel their eyes on me.

Patrick began barking, “Why didn’t you answer your damn phone?”

“I was talking with Senator Andrews and had the ringer on low.  What’s with the tone?”

“You’re the hottest topic in DC right now and you’re just off visiting with Senator Andrews?  Jesus, Chris.”  The sarcasm and disdain were dripping from his words.  

“Uh, you want to take down your attitude, Patrick?  Your girlfriend called to tell you where I was.  If you needed me so damn bad, you could have called her to pull me out of the meeting.”  I would admonish him later for the way he was speaking to me in front of the office staff, but, for now, I wanted to get to the bottom of what was firing him up.

“Yeah, well it didn’t work.  Mary said she interrupted you once and wasn’t doing it again unless it was an emergency.”

“Well, there you go.  If you thought it was an emergency you’d have told her to get me or you’d have come down there yourself.”

I could tell Patrick was about to fire back at me, so I put my hand on his shoulder and directed him towards my private office.   I wasn’t about to let our argument continue to be on display to the entire office.  No, our arguments usually got personal and ugly, I didn’t need that in the gossip mill.  It’d be better to get him behind closed doors and get to the bottom of this in private.  As soon as I closed the door, Patrick pounced.

“When exactly did you plan on telling me you’re dating Greer Hamilton?  I mean, I get that you’re private, but for God’s sake I’m your Chief of Staff and I’ve got to hear about it as gossip circulating through the building?  Oh, and don’t even get me started about the blind item outing you on the DC Scene blog.  Jesus, Chris, I thought you’d be smarter than this.”

“A blind item and office gossip?  You’re in a tizzy over gossip?  What are you, twelve?”  I pushed past Patrick, walking toward my desk.  I needed to keep my back to him so I didn’t let him know his words made me nervous.  Patrick had a tendency to get wound up over the slightest things.  Then again, as my Chief of Staff, it was his job to defend me when things went sideways.

I heard Patrick stomp towards the couch, and lower himself to take a seat.  I could then hear the shuffling of paperwork.  I turned around to lean against the edge of my desk.  In an effort not look worried, I used my arms to prop myself up and crossed my legs at the ankle.  I figured the casual look would diffuse some of the conversation; it didn’t.

Patrick produced a piece of paper and began waving it.  He then spoke, “I printed this from the website.  ‘I spy a socially reclusive Senator eating lunch with an up-and-coming power lobbyist.  The two seemed very friendly at their table, but the locked hands as they were leaving gave away that something else was happening.  If you want more proof, how about the kiss he gave her on the sidewalk.  So, Senator, has all the fire-breathing just been foreplay?’”  Patrick tossed the paper onto the couch next to him.  He leveled his gaze at me, daring me to speak.

I blanched, there was no doubt that blind item was referring to me.  I’d needed to be seen in public with Greer, but I’d had no idea it would get this type of salacious attention.  Socially reclusive?  Fuck, I needed to call the DNC.  Did they have any indication in their research that things would blow up like this?  Maybe the two of us doing this on our own was a bad idea.  Maybe we’d need PR to help keep this type of thing out of the media.

“Chris? Have you been paying attention to anything I’ve been saying?  You’ve got this far off look in your eyes and I can’t get a read on you.”  I snapped my attention back to Patrick.  “Look, I get it.  I don’t blame you if you’ve decided to go down the path the DNC talked about, but what happened to being subtle?”

“I’m not following the path outlined by the DNC,” I offered quietly; waiting for the information to sink in.  I could tell my announcement had taken Patrick by surprise.  “Don’t get me wrong, subtle was the plan, but I was in the moment and it felt right.”  That wasn’t a lie.  I had felt compelled to do it and I wouldn’t apologize for it.  

“Wait, what?  Are you telling me you’re actually dating her?” Patrick tossed his notebook with frustration; it landed at the opposite end of the couch with a soft thud.  “What happened to only feeling disdain for her and her politics?  When did that change?  And why in the hell didn’t you tell me your feelings changed?”

I shifted my weight and moved to cross my arms across my chest.  I bowed my head, not wanting to make eye contact with Patrick.  When he was this angry and frustrated, it was best to let him rant and rave.  It was only safe to begin speaking when the tide of anger began to ebb.  I could tell, from the corner of my eye, that he’d sat forward and placed his head in his hands.  He was almost ready to hear my response.

“Patrick, I told you I was going to lunch with Greer.  I’d been honest about that,” I offered as some sort of pathetic appeasement.

“Yeah, lunch with a lobbyist that could easily be perceived as work.  Not ‘I’m going to put on a public display of affection to claim a girl as mine.’  What were you thinking?”  He was exasperated at this point.

“I was on my way to talk to you about it when I was approached by Senator Andrews.  I’d had no idea it would blow up in the time I was in her office.”  That was true, I’d not even considered this firestorm could happen.

“When did you decide to date her?  Did that happen at lunch?”

“No.” I was afraid to even admit this next part.  “She came by the house the other night after you’d left.  She’d wanted to apologize for her actions.  We started talking and realized we were more alike than different.  She isn't as horrible as I’d had her built up in my mind.” I had to smile at that revelation.  I looked up and made eye contact with Patrick, guessing he was ready to face me.  “We’d had objections to the plan the DNC put in place but realized that dating might not be a bad idea.  We like one another and thought we’d start seeing each other to see if it goes anywhere.  This isn’t for publicity, Patrick, I’m trying to move on.”

Patrick stood up and walked to where I was standing.  “I never thought I hear you say you were ready to move on.”  Patrick reached out and pulled me towards him into a hug.  He slapped my back. “I think it’s great you want to do this and I support you completely.  But for fuck's sake, warn me next time you’re going to do something like this.”

“I honestly don’t plan on doing something like this again,” I admitted.  I pulled back from him and started laughing. “But if I do, I’ll warn you first.”

“So, Greer, eh?  I told you she’s perfect for you.  Glad you finally listened to me.” Patrick turned and stalked back toward the couch.  “You waited to tell me, but have you told your parents yet?”

“No, it was on my list of things to do for when I got back to the office.”  I pushed off the front of my desk and began moving to my chair behind it.  I had my hand on the phone. “I better call Greer first, should probably warn her about the blind item.”

"How do you want me to handle this with the press?"

"Ignore it for now.  I don’t want to bring undue attention to it.  I’m not denying I had lunch with her.  I just don’t want to address their wording or innuendo.”  I picked up the handset and started to dial Greer’s number.  Before connecting the call, I gave Patrick a heads up.  “By the way, I’m taking Greer out for dinner tonight, but it’s going to be low key.  I’ll try to stay out of the headlines and off the radar.”

~ * ~

I connected the call with Greer as Patrick was walking out of my office.  She hadn't heard of the blind item yet and appreciated my warning.  No one in her office, except for Joanie, had been aware who she was meeting for lunch.  So, she figured she was safe from the gossip in the office.  At least for now.  

To her credit, she was upset that we’d been outed that way.  However, she was more horrified that I’d been referred to as socially reclusive.    I appreciated that about Greer and I’d be remiss if I didn’t admit that it made for fall for her just a little more.  Immediately following her initial reaction came the anger and disgust.  She hated that someone had felt the need to do this.  

I was impressed at how cool-headed she was with this news.  She’d politely reminded me that we’d better get used to the attention. We’d be subjected to much worse on the campaign trail.  We needed to be seen in public, but maybe as we were starting out with this dating thing we should be a little more on guard while we were in public.   We’d ended our call with Greer giving me her address and me confirming when I’d pick her up for our lowkey date that night.

I was letting the last part of our conversation run through my mind as I pulled up in front of Greer’s apartment complex, later that evening.  I appreciated the fact that her building had security and wasn’t easily accessible. However, I knew it would keep everyone out forever.  The media would keep camping out here as our relationship progressed and I knew I'd need to speak to Greer about alternate security or move her into my place sooner than I’d anticipated.

As I walked toward the security desk, the elevator doors opened and Greer walked out.  I hadn't been expecting her to meet me in the lobby, but it was a welcome surprise.  Greer was wearing jeans, a white t-shirt, and a maroon, plaid, long-sleeve shirt that she’d only partially buttoned.  The maroon scarf around her neck made the outfit a bit dressier.  She was stunning.  As she approached, she introduced me to the security guard.  I wasn’t going to complain, at least he wouldn’t question me when I showed up for future visits.  After some small talk, I escorted Greer out to my car.  

Being a gentleman, I opened her car door and waited for her slide into her seat.  I then closed the door and made my way around to the driver’s side.  As I opened my door, I was suddenly hit with another bout of nerves.  I tried to quell them by taking a deep breath before getting into the car.  I looked at her and spoke, “I hope you don’t mind that I’ve got something low key planned for this evening.”

Greer smiled in response. “Well, after what we went through earlier today, low key is probably the smart plan.  What’d you have in mind?”

“I thought maybe we could do a night tour of the National Mall and the monuments.”  I watched her face for a reaction but didn’t receive one.  “I mean, we don’t have to do that.  I just thought...have you ever walked around the monuments at night when they’re all lit up?  It’s peaceful and beautiful.”

The street lights danced in Greer’s eyes and she smiled at me.  At that moment, I was pretty sure my dick twitched and my heart clenched at the same time.  “Actually, Senator Evans, I’ve never seen the monuments during the day, so I think going at night will be a treat.”

“What?  How long have you lived in DC?  I can’t believe you’ve missed out on visiting all of the memorials and monuments.  I’m almost speechless.”

Greer shook her head and tried to hide her laugh.  “I’ve always meant to, but my work schedule is kinda crazy.  The only place I’ve made time to visit is Arlington.”  Suddenly Greer grew quiet and turned so she was looking out the window as I drove from the curb and into the city.  After a few moments of silence, she began speaking again.  “My older brother is buried there.  When I need to think or feel close to him, I go to the cemetery.”

Her words hit me in the chest.  I could feel her pain and I wanted to do all I could to take it away.  I reached out, taking my right hand off the steering wheel and placing it on her hands that were resting in her lap.  “Oh, Greer, I’m so very sorry.  When did he pass?”

“I don’t want to dwell on bad things tonight, Chris.  But I was in high school when Elliot was killed in Afghanistan.  He was on patrol in a small town, going door to door looking for refugees.  They were ambushed by rebels, only three men in his unit were able to survive.”  I heard Greer take a deep breath and I could tell she was fighting back the tears.  “My family has heard, over the years, that the rebels had American weapons, but we don’t know for sure.  The reports are sealed and we’re repeatedly told we don’t have the clearance to see them.

"Elliott was my hero, I’d always looked up to him and I was devastated when he was killed.  My parents were so distraught that they put a tight rein on the career path for my brother Noah and me.  They’d let Elliott do what he wanted and he'd gotten himself killed.  So, they picked what Noah and I would do so they wouldn’t have to worry about that with us.”

“Wow, Greer, I’m so sorry.”  I let the quiet overtake the car for a few minutes because I didn’t know what to say.  I hadn't anticipated hearing that story from her.  I’d had no idea she’d had a brother killed in action.  And the fact that he might have been killed because someone gave rebel forces American guns, well that didn’t sit well with me.  I made a mental note to look into her brother’s death when I got into the office.  The least I could do was to give Greer some answers.

I wanted to change the atmosphere for the evening.  Tonight was supposed to be about first dates and getting to know each other, not about morose topics and having death hanging over the night.  I was being selfish, I couldn’t help it.  But if I let her dwell on her brother all night then this date would be a disaster.  We’d arrived at the Capitol grounds, by this point.  I didn’t want to park in the back parking lot and I figured it’d be easier to park in one of the front lots with easier access.  My license plate and parking sticker would keep us from being towed should the police do a sweep of vehicles.  

As I turned off the ignition, I stared out the front window and asked, “Are you up for a long walk tonight?  If not, we can do this another night.”

Greer turned in her seat to look at me.  “Heaven’s no!  I didn’t mean to bring this evening down.  I want to spend the evening with you and I’m ready.  Let’s forget anything sad, okay?”

I asked her to wait in the car while I got out and moved to her side.  I wanted to open the door for her and prove chivalry wasn’t dead.  After she got out of the car, I locked it up and walked around to the back and popped the trunk.

“What’re you doing?”  Greer asked with amusement in her voice.

I peeked around the side of the car, making myself visible to her.  “Just a second,” then I went back to gathering the items we’d need.  I closed the trunk and sat a blanket and picnic basket on the back of the car.  “Sorry, I had to get dinner,” I responded cheerfully.

“A picnic?  At night?”  Greer shook her head as if she was confused.

“Well, of course.  If you and I are taking a stroll through the National Mall and visiting memorials and monuments, we have to look like regular people.  It’s dark, low lighting - very low key.  No one is trying to eavesdrop on our conversation or paying attention to what we’re doing.  It’s in public, but it’s more intimate.  Don’t you agree?”

“I do.” Greer started laughing. “And it’s romantic.  Was that your intention?”

“Do you like it?”  Greer nodded vigorously.  “Then it was my intention.”

I held Greer’s hand as we started walking.  As we passed the buildings of the Smithsonian, Greer pointed out specific historical facts.  I learned she was a student of history and it was one of the reasons that brought her to DC to live. As we approached the Washington Monument, we traded knowledge of the structure, as well as George Washington.  With each passing moment, I found her to be more and more intriguing.  

We passed through the WWII monument without saying much of anything.  The lights on the water feature drew us forward and we stood in reverence.  We both agreed that this monument had taken too many years to build and it was sad that many of the veterans of that war had never seen it.  Once again, we pondered the soldiers who’d gone off to war and not come home.  Or, those who'd come home and had never been quite the same.  

Our last stop, at the end of our tour on the National Mall, would be the Lincoln Memorial.  It loomed in the distance and while it seemed so far away, it was actually just a short walk.

“You know, I think Abraham Lincoln is one of our greatest Presidents,” Greer said, a tone of reverence in her voice.  “That monument speaks to his greatness.”

“I need to ask,” I offered tentatively. “When we were arguing in my living room the other day, you said your name has a legacy.  So, I’m going to ask.  Are you related to that Hamilton?”

“Ha, yeah, and if my dad were here he’d regale you on the life and legacy of dear Alexander.  We are descendants, but I’m not a Hamilton historian.  I leave that to my father as well as others.  He was my great-grandfather many times removed.”  Nothing more was said and Greer had taken several steps ahead of me before she gasped and turned back around.  She had a look of fear in her expression. “Please don’t use him in your campaign.”

I couldn’t contain my laughter.  It wasn’t that I wanted to laugh at her, but she looked so innocent and sweet that I couldn’t help it.  “I wouldn’t do that, believe me.  But tell me, because I’m curious, how does a descendant of a Founding Father find the Civil War a more interesting time in history.”

“Well, Alexander and his compatriots might have fought for our initial independence, but Lincoln saved it from destruction.  He kept us whole.”  I had to admit I liked her train of thought.  “And to answer the question you might ask next, I’ve never followed in Alexander’s footsteps.  I’ve never been to Boston or studied Revolutionary history.”

“Noted!  I’ll add that to the list of things we can do together when we’re on the campaign trail.”  Greer and I stood at the base of the steps that led to the Lincoln Memorial.  We ascended the stairs and I let Greer take in everything on her own.  The lights around the outside of the Memorial were soft.  But the light in the center of the Memorial made Lincoln’s statue shine like a bright white beacon.  Greer was mesmerized by it and I was mesmerized by her.

We stood at the base of Lincoln and Greer read the script on the back wall.  I leaned down, my lips at her ear.  “Why don’t we eat our dinner while we’re here.  You can bask in Lincoln’s glow and I can bask in yours.”

Greer smiled and I led her to the top of the steps.  We moved to the far right, there were still quite a few visitors even this late and I didn’t want to be in their way.  I spread the blanket out and we took our seats.  I opened the basket, removing a bottle of wine along with two glasses.  I opened the bottle and poured each of us a drink.    

“To a low-key evening and getting to know one another,” I said as I presented her with her glass.  “I have sandwiches, chips, and cake,” I announced as I pulled the items from the basket and placed them on the blanket.  

“I love this.  I don’t mind saying I like going to fancy restaurants, but this, well, this is so much better.”

I sighed heavily, making it a show for her. “Thank goodness, I was afraid I’d started dating a high maintenance diva.”  Greer slapped my shoulder and laughed.

We ate in silence, looking out over the reflecting pool and the small crowds that were filing to the Memorial to pay homage.  No one approached us or even paid attention to us.  I hoped that meant this date wouldn’t end up on the gossip site, too.  We’d gotten through the entire evening without speaking of the events from earlier in the day.  I had been afraid to bring it up, not knowing how she was handling the attention or the scrutiny.  

One thing I did now, the evening with Greer was enjoyable. We didn’t feel the need to force conversation or ask a million questions.  We had a comfort level with one another that was not easy to come by in relationships that had been together for some time, much less only a day.   

I could feel my phone vibrating in my pocket.  I ignored it at first, but when it began to vibrate again, I pulled it from my pocket to see who was calling.  I had a 9-1-1  text from Patrick and he was trying to call me, again.  I apologized to Greer and answered the call.  As soon as the call connected, Patrick began talking.  I listened intently and then told him I was on my way.

I slid my phone back into my pocket.  “I’m so sorry, Greer, but we need to head back.  I’ve been called into an emergency Intelligence briefing.  I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t have a choice, I hope you know that.”

Greer nodded. “Of course, I understand.  Is everything okay?”

I started to pick items up and drop them back into the picnic basket.  “There’s been a terrorist attack in Europe.  The preliminary reports are not good.  There’s some disturbing information that the terrorists might have had weapons from one of our contractors.  We’ve got some serious issues to look into.”

Greer finished helping me clean up.  Since we were at least an hours walk from the Capitol, it was going to be faster for us to grab a taxi.  This was the only time I’d wish I’d driven to the Lincoln Memorial versus walking.  If I had the cab drop us off at my car, I could at least put all of my stuff there so I didn’t have to haul it into my office.

As we hailed a cab and rode back, I played in my head all of the things that I wished I could tell Greer.  This was when my relationship with a lobbyist could become a conflict of interest.  Because the contractor that we believe had sold arms to the terrorists was the same client that Greer was lobbying for us to sign a new multi-billion dollar government contract with.  If they were in the international arms trade and funding terrorists, we could have a major problem on our hands.


End file.
